Japanese or Spotted Laurel Ashmount

Golden-speckled, leathery foliage and exceptional shade tolerance make Aucuba japonica Ashmount an indispensable evergreen shrub for brightening dark garden corners. Broad, glossy green leaves heavily dusted with bright yellow markings create a vibrant year-round backdrop in dense shade where few other plants thrive. In Spring, small, understated reddish-purple flowers appear, followed on female plants by bright red, berry-like fruits in Autumn and Winter if a male pollinator is present nearby. Upright, dense, and remarkably low-maintenance, this tough Japanese Laurel handles poor dry soils, urban air pollution, and heavy shade with ease.

Site: Tolerates wind exposure including coastal exposure. Needs some shelter from freezing, North/Easterly winds, and needs shade 
Soil: Any well drained soil
Position: Best in shade. Tolerant of deep shade
Season of Interest: Evergreen. Red berries from Autumn to Winter
Hardiness: Hardy to -12°C
Height: 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) Spread: 4-6.5ft (1.2-2m)

Images 2-3 by Leonora (Ellie) Enking cropped and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0