Gold Dust Aucuba
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-10b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub
Height at Maturity: 5-6′
Width at Maturity: 4-6′
Spacing: 4′ for solid hedges; 8′ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Mounding, Upright
Growth Rate: Moderate
Flower Color: NA
Flower Size: NA
Flowering Period: NA
Flower Type: NA
Fragrant Flowers: NA
Foliage Color: Very Deep Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Sun Needs: Shade or Mostly Shade, Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade
Water Needs: Low Once Established
Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sand, Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Lightly Moist, Well Drained Dry
Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Heavy Shade, Insect
Description
Sporting bold, tropical-like dark green leaves that look as though they’ve been heavily speckled with yellow paint, the Gold Dust Aucuba is one of the easiest to grow, lowest maintenance, most attractive plants in our shade garden and will surely light up the shady areas of your garden. Because no other plants share similar foliage, this Aucuba is an indispensable shade plant that compliments all other plants nearby.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 5 to 6 feet tall and wide and handling dense shade to part shade, Gold Dust Aucuba is ideal as an accent or in groupings under the canopies of large shade trees and in other shady areas. They are also great for use in landscape borders and home foundation plantings as an accent, natural hedge, or in small to large groupings. It’s tropical-looking evergreen leaves make Gold Dust Aucuba plants a perfect choice for bringing a flare of the tropics to your landscape, perennial shade garden or rock and Xeriscape (low water needs) gardens. What’s more…you can grow this flashy beauty year-round indoors as a houseplant!
Suggested Spacing: 4 feet apart for solid hedges; 8 feet or more apart for space between plants
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Aucuba variety is not reliably winter hardy outdoors, you can enjoy it in containers as a year-round houseplant or that can be kept outside during the warm seasons and moved indoors during winter.
Growing Preferences
Aucuba are very easy to grow and low maintenance plants that like a moist to somewhat dry well-drained soil of average fertility and shade to part shade. As with so many other ornamental shrubs, constantly soggy or wet soils are problematic. Aucuba thrive in the shadiest of spots, even under the canopies of large trees and decks where lawn grass and many other plants are difficult to grow. Morning and evening sun are fine but avoid exposure to direct afternoon sun, which can scorch leaves.
Helpful Articles
Click on the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Aucuba plants.
How To Plant & Care For Aucuba Plants
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff
Questions? Contact Us!
I am very happy with Wilson Bros Gardens. The delivery was quick. The plants I purchased are these Dust Aucuba (Japanese Laurel) – 1 Gallon Pot. They were very well packed. They arrived in plastic pots in a well secured box and they were well secured in the box and the plants themselves were very healthy on arrival. As well, the customer service follow up is very good. I am very impressed with Wilson Bros Gardens and I will definitely be placing orders with them in the future. I will probably go to them first when looking for plants from here on out. My experience with Wilson Bros Gardens was definitely a 5 star experience. PS: The plants look just like the photo (very healthy).————————————Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and awesome review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
My one gallon plants arrived quickly, wrapped securely and professionally. They were huge, mature, vibrant, healthy looking, well rooted. attractively leafed out and with sturdy trunks. Transplanting was a snap. I always dig my holes well in advance of when I think plants will come and also have my soils mixed and ready (part nice fluffy mix with the rest native clay soil). These were far nicer and well tended than what I used to get (pre-pandemic) at the big box stores. I will be ordering again. It’s fantastic to get such large plants delivered to my door. I like that the price includes delivery, too.———————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
This was my first time buying a plant online. The plant was perfectly packaged and arrived in a healthy state. I was impressed with the quality of the plant, its size, and value for my money. I couldn’t believe it was shipped for free on top of that. I will definitely be ordering from you again.——————————–Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
First time ordering any plant or shrub online. Unsure if that was a good idea, but the 4 – 1 gallon plants arrived very well packaged and in great shape. I was having difficulty finding this shrub in Austin and would use this supplier again. And, free shipping!————————————-Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
Beautiful Plants.—————————-Hi Ramon, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Gold Dust Aucuba. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens





















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