Japanese Aucuba, Japanese Laurel                   aw-KU-ba ja-PON-ik-a

• Broadleaf evergreen shrub, 6-10 ft (2-3 m) high, densely upright-rounded to rounded, forming a thicket of arching branches, tidy and neat in appearance.  Leaves opposite, simple, leathery, 8-20 cm long, 4-8 cm wide, apex acute to acuminate, base broad wedge-shaped, margin entire to coarely dentate toward the apex, lustrous dark green above and lighter below, petiole 1.3-5 cm long.   Dioecious - male and female plant.  Flowers purple, male in upright terminal clusters, female flowers axillary.  Fruit red, 2 cm long.  Both male and female plants required for fruit production.
• Shade.  Prefers well-drained, moist, high organic matter soils.  Makes a choice container plant.
• Hardy to USDA Zone (6)7     Native from the Himalayas to southern Japan.


• Several selections, the most common ones are variegated.  Some of the non-variegated cultivars include:
• ‘Salicifolia’ (‘Longifolia’)  -  narrow willowlike, serrated leaves; female.
• ‘Nana’  -  compact form, to about 3 ft, relativley erect, abundant fruit on female plants.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: behind Owen Hall, east end.