Aucuba japonica

Spotted Laurel
Spotted Laurel Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Garryales
Family:	Garryaceae
Genus:	Aucuba
Species:	A. japonica
Binomial name
Aucuba japonica Thunb.

Aucuba japonica, commonly called spotted laurel,^[1] Japanese laurel,^[1] or Japanies aucuba,^[1] is a shrub (1-5m) native to woods in lowland and mountains all over Japan and China. In rich forest soils of moist valleys, dense forests, thickets, by streams and near shaded moist rocks in China. The leaves are opposite, broad lanceolate, 5-8 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. Aucuba japonica are dioecious, they have separate male and female plants. The flowers are small, 4-8 mm diameter, with four purplish-brown petals; they are produced in clusters of 10-30 in a loose cyme. The fruit is a red berry approx. 1 cm diameter. They are often avoided by birds. They are a popular garden plant in the United Kingdom and western Europe. This shrub is also popular in the United States, where it is commonly referred to as the Gold Dust Plant ^{(Fell 1990)}.

References

• Fell, Derek (1990), The Essential Gardener, Michael Freedman Publishing Group.

Butte College Student (2012) "Potential Gardener" The leaf type is simple, ovate in shape, with a neted venation form @ 7 inches long. (Some leaf margins can very as the leaves and plant mature. The margin will either be entire, or dentate.) Shrub growth is up to 10 feet tall with an = spread.

External links

• BBC Gardening Aucuba japonica

Gallery

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  Female clone Variegata

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  Fruits of Aucuba japonica

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  Leafs of Aucuba japonica

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