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Aucuba Crotonifolia (Spotted Laurel)
Evergreen Shrub for Year-Round Garden Interest
Overview
Aucuba crotonifolia, commonly known as Spotted Laurel or Gold Dust Plant, is a striking evergreen shrub that brings colour and structure to gardens throughout the year. With its distinctive glossy green leaves adorned with bright yellow spots and speckles, this hardy Japanese native has been a favourite amongst British gardeners for over 150 years. Perfect for adding tropical flair to temperate gardens, this versatile shrub thrives in conditions where many other plants struggle.
Key Features
Foliage: Large, leathery leaves (15-20cm long) with a glossy dark green base colour decorated with irregular golden-yellow spots and blotches. The variegation is most pronounced on younger growth and becomes more subtle with age.
Size: Reaches 2-3 metres in height and 1.5-2 metres in spread when mature, though can be kept smaller with regular pruning.
Growth Rate: Slow to moderate, typically adding 15-30cm per year once established.
Flowers: Small, inconspicuous purple-red flowers appear in spring on female plants. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants.
Berries: Female plants produce bright red berries in autumn and winter when pollinated by a nearby male plant, adding seasonal interest.
Growing Conditions
Light Requirements: Thrives in partial to full shade. Whilst it tolerates some morning sun, the leaf colour is best preserved in shadier locations. Avoid hot afternoon sun which can scorch the foliage.
Soil: Adaptable to most soil types but prefers well-draining, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0-7.5. Tolerates clay soils better than many evergreens.
Hardiness: Fully hardy in the UK (RHS hardiness rating H5), withstanding temperatures down to -15°C. Young plants may benefit from protection in their first winter.
Moisture: Prefers consistently moist but not waterlogged soil. Once established, shows good drought tolerance.
Planting and Care
Planting Time: Potted Aucuba can be planted at any time of the year providing the ground is not frozen or waterlogged and its not excessively windy.
Spacing: Allow 1-1.5 metres between plants if creating a hedge or screen, or plant as a specimen with adequate space to reach full size.
Watering: Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a strong root system. Mature plants rarely need supplemental watering except during prolonged dry spells.
Feeding: Apply a balanced, slow-release fertiliser in early spring. A mulch of well-rotted compost around the base will provide nutrients and help retain moisture.
Pruning: Prune in late spring after any risk of hard frost has passed. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches. Can be pruned hard if necessary, though this may temporarily reduce the density of foliage.
Garden Uses
Woodland Gardens: Ideal for creating structure in woodland settings or beneath established trees where its shade tolerance is invaluable.
Foundation Planting: Excellent for planting against north-facing walls or in courtyard gardens where its architectural form provides year-round interest.
Container Growing: Suitable for large containers on patios or terraces, particularly useful for adding colour to shaded seating areas.
Hedging: Creates an attractive informal hedge or screen, though growth is slower than traditional hedging plants.
Mixed Borders: Provides excellent backdrop planting for shade-loving perennials and bulbs.
Companion Plants
Pairs beautifully with other shade-tolerant plants such as hostas, ferns, hellebores, and Japanese maples. The yellow variegation complements purple-leaved heucheras and contrasts nicely with the silver foliage of pulmonaria.
Why Choose Aucuba Crotonifolia?
This reliable evergreen shrub offers unmatched versatility for challenging garden situations. Its ability to provide bright, cheerful colour in deep shade makes it invaluable for problem areas where other plants fail to thrive. The year-round interest, low maintenance requirements, and architectural presence make it an excellent investment for both novice and experienced gardeners looking to create structure and colour in their shaded garden spaces.
Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.
Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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