Aucuba Japonica

Aucuba Japonica

Aucuba japonica is a resilient, shade-tolerant evergreen shrub ideal for low-maintenance hedging and screening. It forms a dense, bushy habit with glossy green foliage and bears small purple flowers in spring; on female plants, bright red berries may follow if a male is nearby. Reliable on most well-drained soils (including chalk) and excellent for dry shade once established, it copes with urban conditions and is well-suited to north-facing boundaries or under trees. Expect an eventual height of roughly 23m and a natural spread of about 1.52.5m when grown as part of a hedge.

Feeding time: Spring (apply a balanced feed and mulch as growth starts) Trimming time: Late spring to early summer, immediately after flowering (light trim to maintain shape)

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Sun, partial shade or full shade Rate of Growth: Slow to moderate Soil: Most well-drained soils; tolerates chalk Hardiness: Hardy Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Plant at a Glance

light:sun
light:light-shade
light:shade
facing:east
facing:west
facing:north
facing:south
soiltype:moderate-fertile
soiltype:light-sandy
soiltype:heavy-clay
soiltype:chalky
soilmoisture:normal
foliage:evergreen
flowering:march
flowering:april
flowercolour:purple
leafcolour:green
size:2m-5m
specialconditions:dry-shade