Picturata Aucuba, Spotted Laurel

Aucuba japonica 'Picturata'

Picturata Aucuba is a shade loving variegated evergreen  shrub with leaves that host a yellow center and have the signature yellow speckles coating the green margins.  The tiny maroon flowers bloom in  early spring, while on female plants the bright red berries ripen in fall and last until spring.  Prefers rich, moist and well-drained soils.  Very good drought tolerance once established.  Deer resistant. Picturata has a tendency to revert to solid green, so any solid green stems should be removed.  

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Low maintenance.   Water weekly.  Keep young plants out of the direct sun, or leaves will develop black spots.  May need to prune reverted stems. Root rot can be a problem in poorly-drained or overly moist soils. Southern blite, leaf spot, scale, mealybugs, and nematodes are occasional issues.

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings,  Borders,  Woodland Gardens,  Wildlife Gardens,  Naturalized Areas,   Coastal Exposure, Urban Gardens, Foundational Plantings, and Hedges.

COMPANION PLANTS:   Japanese Fatsia, Hydrangea, Japanese Camellia

IMAGES: Photo by  cultivar413,  Lunaria annua 'Variegata', Ajuga 'Renick', Aucuba 'Picturata'. seedling of Ligustrum x 'Vicaryi' 110524, (2) Photo by Leonora (Ellie) Enking, Aucuba japonica 'Picturata'

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.