shrub

Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata'

Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub for gardens in zones 7–9. Expect 4–6 ft of height and 4–6 ft of spread; our lists space it 4.5 ft apart. It does best in part shade to shade with average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest and the Mountain West, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name: Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'
Plant type: Shrub, evergreen
Hardiness zones: 7 to 9
Sun: Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
Water: Medium
Soil: Tolerates dry shade and clay once established.
Mature size: 4–6 ft tall × 4–6 ft wide
Spacing: 4.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate: Slow
Bloom: Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed: Structure
Styles: classic, modern
Deer resistance: Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
Pets: Toxic to dogs and cats. Not confirmed on the ASPCA list; plant and berries hold aucubin and mild poisoning is reported, so marked toxic.
Native to: Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
Pot size and price: 3-gallon pot, typically $30–$50 (easy to find)
Plant in: Spring or Fall
First-year watering: Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
Pruning: Cut individual stems back in spring; avoid shearing.

Sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Southeastern extension deer-resistance lists (UGA, Clemson, UF/IFAS); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Guides that include this plant

What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 9
What to plant in a shady bed in zone 8
What to plant in a shady bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
Shade plants for humid summers in zone 8, Southeast (as a substitute)

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated November 12, 2026. How FloraVista chooses plants