Aucuba, Gold Dust Plant, Japanese Laurel, Variegated Japanese Aucuba 'Variegata'

On May 29, 2016, semiretired from Washington, DC wrote:

Planted two of these in Washington DC. One of them was planted in total shade where nothing grows and promptly bit the dust.

The other is on the south side of the house where it gets mixed sun/shade until noon and then shade in the afternoon. Left to its own devices, it grows quite tall (over 8'). The trunks will bend over under heavy snow, but bounce back if brushed off promptly. Otherwise, it responds well to springtime pruning.

On May 23, 2016, theresa94402 from Highlands-Baywood Park, CA wrote:

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and this plant is the least maintenance one in my yard. Its in a shady spot, about 10 years old, gets watered only once in a while and pruned back once a year or whenever I see blackened leaves which show up always on the top.
No berries or flowers ever but the leaves are beautiful. Will try to propagate in water as seen in comments.

On Dec 25, 2015, BotanicalBoi from Carrollton, GA (Zone 7b) wrote:

I love the ease of this plant. It was at our home when we purchased it. About 5 years ago it was about 10 ft. tall. It is now to the top of the eaves. The berries are beautiful for winter interest even though the plant is evergreen for us here in 7B. We were extremely luck that the previous owners of our land were gardeners. We acquired 20+ large azaleas, camellias, gardenias and acres of other garden goodies.

On Aug 25, 2012, gregr18 from Bridgewater, MA (Zone 6b) wrote:

I've had success in zone 6b (SE Massachusetts) with this plant. Zero degrees F killed a few leaves, but other than that, it remained healthy and green. As others have suggested, there is potential for this plant in zone 6 gardens.

On Jul 12, 2011, loovejonesx from Durham, NC wrote:

I purchased mine ten years ago when I bought my house. It is in a dappled shady spot that would get no direct sunlight. It grew very slowly, but in the third year of having it, it exploded, & now is one of the main attractions of my backyard & seems VERY healthy!!

On Jul 11, 2011, witchy1 from Houston, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:

I am neutral about this plant because I have tried to grow 2 of them - only 1 seems to be surviving. Slowly but surely the leafs and the stems on the other one are turning black. As it is in shade, I believe it has a fungus or is diseased. I have sprayed it well a few times but it continues to die little by little. It is approx 2 years old and growing in a large pot.

On May 14, 2011, atinjohn from Pikeville, TN wrote:

Acuba Golddust is about as carefree as you can get. I am growing 7 plants in full shade from deciduous trees, with some receiving dappled morning sunlight in the summer. Drought tolerant, easy to transplant, even easier to propagate and attractive year round.

On Apr 29, 2010, ThePaleMoonLite from Alexandria, VA wrote:

I live in an apartment and I have a Gold Dust plant in a pot inside my apartment. My plant looks beautiful and healthy.

On Apr 9, 2009, SwampYankee from East Hartford, CT (Zone 6a) wrote:

Aucuba is beyond its reported hardiness zone here in the Connecticut River Valley near Hartford, but I'm told they do well on the Connecticut Sound and Long Island. I rooted two cuttings taken in Richmond, VA in 2001 and planted one on the north side of my house and one to the north of a yew hedge; both locations are bright shade. The first winter I protected the young plants with an overturned peach basket full of oak leaves. Since then, they have slowly grown to about 4' without protection or pampering, and are lush and full. Aucuba does best in cool damp climates like the Pacific Northwest, so here they are merely a curiosity. I've heard they are massive in Ireland.

On Nov 9, 2008, spanky_MD from Baltimore, MD wrote:

I had one of these in a sheltered spot next to the house where it got a little late afternoon sun. It thrived for years, even when I cut it back severely several times. I threw the cuttings in a pile in the shade of a pine tree and a year later found two little new plants sprouting from them. I also took a stem cutting and grew a plant indoors.

Deer DO eat this shrub in my yard, however. That's the only negative to it. I bought another one and the deer ate it to the ground over the winter. It came back nicely and this winter I will put up some kind of protection around it.

On Apr 29, 2008, vetaflame from San Diego, CA wrote:

I love the way this plant looks, but I have had no success getting it to grow in my San Diego garden. It burns up in the sun and fails to thrive in the shade. I've tried several plants in different areas in my garden, but they always die. Almost everything thrives in my garden, but this plant has been quite a disappointment to me.

On May 16, 2007, collies4u from Checotah, OK wrote:

My friend's mother from Maryland gave me a start of this plant last January (2007). I brought it back to Oklahoma on the plane with me wrapped in wet paper towels in a plastic bag. I put it in a container of just regular tap water. In about 30 days, roots started growing, then about 3 months after I put it in water, a small puple flower appeared close to the water line. I was so amazed by it I took a close-up of it, which I'll try to send. It reminded me of a very tiny water lily. I haven't seen any other pictures of these flowers like this.

On Apr 28, 2006, Savage223 from Elizabethtown, PA wrote:

I have two of these plants which were planted in 1987. They stand 3-1/2 feet tall at this time. I have never seen any "fruit" on these- probably due to the lack of gender or nearby opposing gendered plants.

I live in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is between the two other PA locations listed.

They have been a hardy plant set, considering they're located on the border of the driveway where salt and road contaminants can get washed into their beds easily.

I, too, have experienced the blackened tips of the plants- though I wasn't sure if this was winter damage or sunlight. (They are located right next to the house on the east side, and receive light only between the hours of 10am and noon during the winter.) The black tips snap off on their own d... read moreuring early summer, and I do not usually see them until the following spring again.

I don't know if they have a propensity for attracting ants, but the only place I've found them in my entire yard was around the base of these. Again: they are located next to the pavement, which is certainly a place ants like to build.

I'd recommend these, provided you have the right sun location and lack deer.

On Apr 30, 2004, Paulwhwest from Irving (Dallas area), TX (Zone 8a) wrote:

It sure isn't fast growing, but my experience has been that it is quite easy-going. It's very disease resistant, and pretty drought tolerant. On top of that it's beautiful all year around.

On Mar 17, 2004, youreit from Knights Landing, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:

After I bought this plant, and my mom told me she'd grown this successfully years ago in the San Jose, CA, area, which has semi-coastal influence, I almost threw it out. I live in the border area of Sunset zones 8 & 14 in N. California, which gets very hot in the summer. I planted it in full shade last year, and it's growing like crazy now, the new light green leaves contrasting beautifully with the older growth. It's only about 1 ft. tall now, so I look forward to more growth in the future.

UPDATE - 03/03/2010
Yikes, 6 years later, and my poor plant has been destroyed by the neighbors! They cut back an oleander and a walnut tree to the west, making my shady area into an afternoon-sun area. Black leaves, no new growth - it's sad. Rest in pieces, Aucuba.

On Jul 16, 2003, lakebird from (Zone 7b) wrote:

In my area, this plant is like "Deer Candy". Deer have completely destroyed my 3 plants.

On Aug 28, 2002, smiln32 from Oklahoma City, OK (Zone 7a) wrote:

Can only tolerate sunny spots in cooler regions...direct sun can cause sunburn and defoliation. Flowers are very small. Pest problems include nematodes. Must have well drained soil or the roots will rot.

On Mar 7, 2001, Terry from Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) wrote:

Probably the best-known aucuba, has dark green glossy leaves spotted with yellow. Requires shade from hot sun; accepts deep shade. Nice container plants for shady terraces, or plant underneath trees where they will tolerate low light and successfully compete with tree roots.