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Plant of the Week
Gold Dust Aucuba
Latin: aucuba japonic 'Variegata'
OK, I admit it. I like variegated plants -- generally the gaudier the
variegation the better.
Not all of my gardening friends agree and several have suggested I attend
Variegated Anonymous, but so far I’ve convinced myself I don’t have a problem.
It seems to me that the more ornamental characteristics a plant has, the better
it is. It must be a character flaw because I use the same principle when
building an omelet -- the more stuff you add the better it is. Subtlety is lost
on me.
The gold dust aucuba is a 6-foot tall evergreen shrub with rich green, gold
spotted leaves that are two inches wide and seven inches long. While officially
hardy only as far north as zone 7 in Arkansas, sudden temperature drops, such as
we experienced in the mid 80's, can cause severe injury even there.
Aucuba is native to Japan and China and was introduced to England in 1783 by
John Graeffer. It was brought to the United States in the 1860's by Robert Hall,
the same person who was unfortunate enough to introduce Hall’s honeysuckle,
which now runs rampant across the eastern U.S. woodlands.
Aucuba is a member of the dogwood family. It produces small, rather
insignificant four-petaled brownish blooms in the tops of the plant in the
spring. Individual plants may be either male or female. The female plants,
provided a male is around for pollination, produce clusters of bright red,
inch-long fruit in the fall and winter.
The golden variegation patterns are inherited from momma. If the female plant is
variegated, the seedlings will be variegated regardless of what the male looks
like. If the female plant is green and papa is variegated, the seedlings will be
green. This indicates that the cause of variegation is not under the control of
the DNA of the nucleus but probably under the control of the chloroplasts where
photosynthesis occurs. Chloroplasts float in the juices of each cell and are
inherited from the female parent.
Aucubas require shade. While many of the plants we grow in the garden simply
tolerate shade, gold dust aucuba must have it. If exposed to full sun the leaves
burn severely and turn a nice crunchy black. It maintains a nice compact form in
the shade with its yellow variegated leaves glowing throughout the summer months
when contrasted with the green backdrop of other shrubs and trees.
Aucubas should be planted in a reasonably fertile, well drained soil that can be
watered during dry weather. They respond well to fertilization, but fertilizer
should not be used with reckless abandon as it can encourage soft growth and
increase the chance of winter injury.
If plants are overgrown, shear them back in the spring just before growth
begins. The trimmings root easily -- I’ve seen them root even in water.
By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist
- Ornamentals
Extension News -
July 9, 1999
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