SPECIES: Aucuba (aw-kew'ba, Latinized from Japanese name) japonica (ja-pon'i-ka, meaning from Japan).

SIZE: 4-5 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide; fast grower.

EXPOSURE: Shade (sun burns leaves)

FORM: Irregular, moderately dense.

FOLIAGE: Dark green, dusted with gold or variegated; toothed, 3-8 inches long, 1 1/2-3 inches wide.

BERRIES: Bright red in winter. Plants are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Generally you will get flowers on female if a male plant is a house away, thanks to pollination by bumblebees.

FLOWERS: None showy, except for Emily White with clusters of white flowers.

CULTURE: Prefers moist, rich soil; likes light fertilization. Tolerates tree roots, deep shade.

VARIETIES: Gold Dust, with yellow-gold flecks. Mister Goldstrike (male) with foliage that doesn't suffer as much dieback as others. Spiker (female) with all-dark green foliage and good berry set. Nana, dwarf, about 2 feet tall.

PRUNING: Cut back to leaf node (joint) to control size.

USES: Makes great foliage in flower arrangements or for holiday decorating. Grows in deep shade and does well in planters. Brighten deep shade spots with gold-dusted types.

PROBLEMS: Sun burns leaves; spider mites, mealybugs, scale.