Accession Count: 14
Common Name:
spotted laurel
Family Name:
Garryaceae
Botanical Name:
Aucuba japonica
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The Aucuba japonica is commonly called spotted laurel, it is a round evergreen shrub. This species usually grows six to ten feet in height. The leaves of the Aucuba japonica are coreaceous (leathery), glossy, elliptic to narrow-ovate. The mid-rib of the leaves have marginal teeth on the upper half of the leaf. The leaves grow to about eight incheds long and are a rich green. The plant produces tiny purple-maroon flowers with creamy white anthers in the early spring. Each flower has four sepals and four petals. The female flowers produce ellipsoid, one-seeded berry-like drupes, they ripen in the fall to a deep red (4).
Compound:
Auc jap
Geographic Origin:
China, Taiwan, Southern Japan
Ecozone Origin:
Palearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
“At first, John Graeffer introduced the Aucuba japonica to England in 1783”. (1) It was originally intended for a heated greenhouse however, it became cultivated to be female in Japan. The Aucuba japonica is plagued with a disease that causes the gold spots on its leaves. In Japan, many viewed this disease as the “gold plant”.
Cultivation Notes:
“The Aucuba Japonica grows best in moist, organically rich, well-drained soil with plenty of shade.” (2) As it first begins growing their leaves are very fragile to the sun however, as a mature plant is very drought resistant.
Ethnobotany:
The Spotted Laurel has very few uses to humans. In a dire emergency, you are able to cook the leaves and eat them however, it does not provide much nutritional value. As to the medical benefits of this plant, there are no proven effects to this plant. “However, it is believed if you grind up the leaves and apply it to a burn it soothes the skin.” (3)
Height:
6 - 10 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
ForeSummer
Color:
Purple
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Moderate Water Use
Citations:
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: " times="" new="" roman",="" serif;"="">wikipedia.org. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: " times="" new="" roman",="" serif;"="">Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- pfaf.org. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- plantsrescue.com. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
