Japanese Laurel

Aucuba Japonica, commonly called Japanese laurel or gold dust plant, is a shrub native to forest soils of moist valleys, streams and near shaded moist rocks in China, Korea, and Japan. The glossy green leaves are heavily dusted with beautiful golden-yellow spots making the ‘Gold Dust Plant’ a cheery house plant, and a beautiful accent among other foliage plants. Aucuba Japonica varieties include both male and female plants that produce clusters of tiny purplish flowers in spring. If pollinated, the flowers are followed by bright red berries carried on the plant through the winter. So, move them outside during spring and summer if wish for this to happen. Indoors, you'll have easy success with this compact, upright shrub because it adapts well to indoor conditions. In fact, it doesn't need much attention to thrive and it grows well in a pot. Light and Water Keep it in a spot with bright indirect light. Some cool, direct morning sunlight is fine. Bright, filtered sunlight will help Gold Dust Plant keep its variegation. Don't move it outdoors unless you have a cool, shady spot for it. Keep the soil evenly moist from spring through fall. Then, cut back on watering in winter when growth has slowed. For indoors, although slow-growing, Gold Dust Plants will get tall and leggy over time. Prune the stems back hard in spring to keep Aucuba Japonica a manageable size indoors and to encourage branching. Cut stems at a 45° angle, just after a node (the place where a leaf or branch is attached to the stem). Use sharp pruners to avoid tearing the stems. Clean those beautiful spotted leaves to keep them dust-free. Wipe them off with a damp cloth, this will unclog the pores on the plant allowing them to break and prevent brown tips.