# Japanese aucuba (*Aucuba japonica*) The Japanese aucuba is a lovely shrub with shiny green leaves and bright red berries. It grows well in shady places and adds color to gardens all year round. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Gold Dust Plant ![Japanese aucuba](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Spottedlaurelmale.JPG&width=800) Photo: Callum1234, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spottedlaurelmale.JPG) ## Appearance The Japanese aucuba has glossy, leathery evergreen leaves, often brightly speckled with yellow or white. Its small, dark reddish-purple flowers are followed by brilliant red, round berries that ripen in autumn and persist through winter. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Garryales - **Family:** Garryaceae - **Genus:** Aucuba ## Interesting facts - Even in deep shade, this plant keeps its vibrant green, brightening dark garden spots. - Its stunning glossy leaves are so tough, they almost feel like plastic! - Male and female flowers grow on separate plants, so you need both if you want to see berries! - The bright red berries can last all winter long, like tiny festive ornaments! ## Special abilities - **Shade Master:** Japanese aucuba can thrive in deep shade where most plants struggle, using its dark leaves to capture dim light efficiently. - **Winter Jewel:** This plant has bright red berries that often remain on the branches all winter, providing pops of color. - **Tough Protector:** Its leathery leaves and waxy coating help Japanese aucuba resist drought and pollution, keeping it healthy. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 100-200 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Early spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Eyebrowed Thrush (*Turdus obscurus*) — Consumes berries for winter food - **Pollinates:** Asian Honey Bee (*Apis cerana*) — Visits small flowers for nectar - **Eats:** Garden Slug (*Arion hortensis*) — Feeds on tender leaves at night ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Japanese aucuba? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Japanese aucuba? 100-300 cm ### How wide does Japanese aucuba spread? 100-200 cm ### How big are the flowers on Japanese aucuba? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Japanese aucuba bloom? Early spring ### Is Japanese aucuba edible? No ### Is Japanese aucuba toxic? Mild ### What is Japanese aucuba's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Sara D. Roosevelt Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sara-d-roosevelt-park) — New York, US · Park - [Raglan Road Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/raglan-road-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Duryunsan Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/duryunsan-provincial-park) — KR · Park - [Shimane Prefectural Manyo Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shimane-prefectural-manyo-park) — Shimane, JP · Park - [Genkai Quasi-National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/genkai-quasi-national-park) — Kyushu, JP · Park - [Matsuyama Shiroyama Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/matsuyama-shiroyama-park) — Shikoku, JP · Park [View all places to see Japanese aucuba](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/japanese-aucuba) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Japanese aucuba: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/japanese-aucuba)