Aucuba is great in the shade year round

Editor's Note: Several Oklahoma County Master Gardeners will rotate in writing the every-other-week gardening column from the Cooperative Extension Service. This week, welcome Nell Reed, OSU Extension Master Gardener.

Have you ever looked out on cold winter day and searched to see something green or colorful in your garden?

Eight years ago, I planted a variegated Aucuba called Gold Dust in front of an old blackjack tree in the wooded area behind my house because it looked so barren in the winter. It has glossy dark-green leaves speckled with gold.

Aucuba is an easy plant to grow provided it is planted in the right location, which is in light or full shade. It likes fertile, well-drained soil, but will adapt to less desirable soil and drier conditions.

Another popular variety is Mr. Goldstrike, which has bold yellow leaves with green streaks in them. Gold Dust matures at 6 to 10 feet tall with a 4-6-foot spread and Mr. Goldstrike at 4-6 feet tall with a 4-5-foot spread.

Aucubas are compact slow-growing plants and usually don't need pruning, but they can be trimmed in early spring if the plant needs shaping or is becoming overgrown.

Aucuba japonica is native to the Himalayas and Japan and was brought to the United States by Robert Hall about 1860 and is now a favorite in many southern gardens. It is a member of the Garryaceae or dogwood family.

It can be grown in zones 7 to 9 and is cold hardy to about minus 5 degrees. The southern half of Oklahoma is zone 7, and the slightly cooler northern half is zone 6.

Aucubas can be planted in the ground or grown in containers. Containers can be left outside during the winter in warmer areas and brought inside in colder areas

The most important thing to know about aucubas is that they require shade. Too much sun, and the leaves will turn black. They come in over 25 varieties, some green and some variegated green and yellow.

In the spring, they have small brownish blooms in the tops of the plants. The female varieties will bear large bright red fruit in the fall and winter months provided there is a male in the vicinity for pollination. Unfortunately, the fruit is not one that birds eat.

I have both Mr. Goldstrike and Gold Dust, which are male plants and don't have berries. This year, I will be looking for a female plant such as Variegata, Nana (compact), Picturata or Gold Spot and will be contacting local nurseries to find out what female varieties are available.

Once you have selected your plant or plants, prepare the soil by incorporating 3 to 4 inches of organic matter into the soil. Dig the planting hole several times wider than the rootball but no deeper so that the roots will have room to spread.

Backfill the hole, water deeply and add several inches of mulch. Moisture is critical during the first year.

Fertilize your plant with a slow-release fertilizer four weeks after planting. Fertilize established plants in March. When winter comes, look out the window; you will like what you see.