by Madison Briggs

Created on: February 16, 2009

Aucuba japonica, also called Gold Dust plant or Japanese aucuba, is in many areas of the country a common outdoor shrub. Yet this pretty, shiny gold spotted plant can also grace your home as an eye catching house plant. Given the right growing conditions, your aucuba will strive relatively carefree indoors.

Aucuba houseplants need a spot in your home which is cool and out of the path of any heat source or vent. Hallways, foyers, or garage entrances are perfect areas as they can tolerate cold drafts much easier then warm rooms. It will perform best when night temperatures are about 55 degrees and daytime temperatures hover around 65 degrees. If your plant starts experiencing a rapid leaf drop, it is probably getting too much heat.

While it will tolerate low light conditions, it will thrive in bright indirect light. Be cautious about placing in direct sunlight as this can attract red spider mites which are one of the major pests to the aucuba. Poor light conditions may cause leaves to pale.

During the growing season in spring and summer, water freely to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Make sure you have a good potting mix that retains water yet drains well. Also make sure your planting container has drainage holes in the bottom. During the late autumn and winter, hold off watering as much. Do not let the plant dry out during this time, but do not over water.

Mist the leaves regularly during the year and occasionally wash the tops of the leaves with a soft cloth dipped in a mild soap and water mixture to clean off any dust that collects. While cleaning, pay close attention to the stems and the undersides of the leaves to check for scale pest, mealy bugs and spider mites.

Every so often you can place the plant in your shower to control any spider mites while giving it a good watering. Feed your plant about every 4 months with a general water soluble fertilizer.

In mid February to mid March, prune the plant back by removing the old woody stems and making pruning cuts to control the growth and size. To make a bushier plant, a cut made in the stem just above a leaf, will cause a new branch to grow from that spot.

If you are interested in propagating your aucuba, use stem cuttings in mid summer instead of early spring. The spring cuttings will be too woody. In mid summer, when the foliage has had a change to grow and before the stems get tough, snip off some stems and dust with rooting powder. Place stems in a pot with good potting soil, keep soil moist and look forward to having another outstanding houseplant.

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