Scientific name: Aucuba japonica

Common name:  Japanese aucuba

Family name: Garryaceae

Useful cultivars and selections: Salicifolia (willow leaf), variegata, Rosmani

USDA hardiness zone: 7

Mature height and spread: 2-3m wide and tall

Form: Dense, upright

Water use: Low

Soil requirements: Acidic, well-drained

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Opposite.

Fall colour: None

Flower/cone/fruit description: Panicle; not showy. Red drupe.

Limitations: Weird looking flowers, diescous plants (male and female parts)

Suitable uses: screening, shrub border. Shade and drought tolerant (bullet proof!).

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Simple Opposite. Red drupe. Leaves clustered in whorls by growth year. Pointy terminal buds. Smooth (no hairs). Green stems. Serrations only on tip. Feels like rubber. Leaf size changes between cultivars (one has yellow splotches)