It sounds like something from a fairy tale but gold dust plants are very special!
These types of evergreen shrub make an excellent addition to outdoor spaces needing a bit of cheering up in the winter or can be kept inside when cared for properly.
The key when growing gold dust plants is to have them located in a fully shaded area, any slight bit more than early morning sun (which they will handle) will burn the leaves and ruin the plant.
But don’t let that discourage you from having one or more of these lovely plants!
They are easy to care for when you know how, so sit back and allow us to give you all the best tips and tricks in this detailed guide so you can make sure your gold dust plan is thriving in no time!
What Is a Gold Dust Plant?
You can easily recognize the gold dust plant by its striking dark green leaves with gold speckles.
It is pretty self-explanatory where the plant gets its name, but scientifically speaking, it is called Aucuba Japonica.
If it wasn’t already evident in the name, the gold dust plant is native to Japan.
One of the remarkable characteristics of the Aucuba Japonica is its hardiness. It will certainly require specific conditions to thrive but its ability to withstand drought sets it apart and it won’t give up easily through adverse conditions.
It is possible to keep your gold dust plant inside, we will go into this further down the page. Nevertheless, for the most part, they do much better outside and if well-kept, you can expect to see growth as tall as ten feet!
The best part of this, is that over time, the gold dust plant can grow to the point it is used for privacy purposes.
The gold dust plant is slow-growing and being an evergreen it will be sustained all year long, which is why many gardeners cultivate it when all the other plants are dead back for winter.
Without a doubt the combination of its dark green and gold portions of the leaves will be a lively plant, but it is not just the leaves that are unique in the gold dust plant.
Expect to see beautiful bright red berries produced from the female of the plants, not to mention, blooming from the plant in the spring months with purplish flowers.
Are Gold Dust Plants Safe for Children and Pets?
Overall, the gold dust plant is non-poisonous to humans.
For common household pets such as dogs or cats, it could possibly not cause too many problems in small amounts, but owners should know that ingestion may be dangerous to your pets.
This may cause symptoms in dogs and cats that include:
- dizziness
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- weakness
- and problems with coordination
If you suspect that your cat or dog has ingested a gold dust plant, you should seek medical attention from your vet as soon as possible.
Light
Even though the gold dust plant is extremely tolerant in many respects, it does not respond well to lighting situations that are anything less than perfect.
The best place for your gold dust plant would be in a shady site that can get some filtered light.
If you try to put your gold dust plant in full sun, or even in an area where it receives a small amount of direct sun every day, there is a very serious possibility that the leaves will scorch, and your plant will be ruined.
Soil
The gold dust plant, as you have probably guessed grows naturally in a woodland environment.
This explains quite a bit regarding how gold dust plants thrive in very shady conditions, but also tells you what soil the shrub needs.
In their natural setting, gold dust plants will thrive in very rich, well-drained soil, so replicating this is crucial in a home environment.
When choosing a potting soil, choose a high-quality one and then enrich the soil with mature compost.
This is relevant when planting a new gold dust plant and is even more important if you are repotting a gold dust plant (and more on that later).
Water
It can be really easy to get the watering care for plants at home wrong, but the gold dust plant should not give you too much to worry about.
Again, as we noted, these are incredibly hardy plants. One of the characteristics these plants are particularly known for is their resistance to drought.
However, ideally speaking, if you provide your gold dust plant with damp soil at all times, it will be very happy. To maintain damp soil, you will need to water the plant around one to two times each week.
In Wetter Weather: There is a chance you may be able to reduce this even further to once per week but it is important to evaluate the time of the year and the moisture of the soil in order to water according to the climate.
Once again, we have to return to the notion of well-drained soil, because while your gold dust plant will enjoy some consistent moisture, if you overwater the plants, this could create some problems.
In the end: You can have concerns with root rot and stress that ultimately may kill your plant.
Conditions
Gold Dust Plants thrive well at average temperatures and we would suggest not allowing this temperature to drop below 53ºF (12ºC).
If you live in a location where temperatures drop below this consistently during the winter it may be wise to keep the plant inside or in a greenhouse.
Another important factor in how to care for Gold Dust Plants is to get the humidity just right, since these plants enjoy a high humidity level, it is useful to raise humidity if you need to.
You could try the following;
- misting your plants
- grouping them
- or even adding pebbles to the container to boost humidity
Another alternative, would be to try to grow your plants in a terrarium, although terrariums are specifically made for plants that require extreme humidity. Typically, that is not the case for the gold dust plant.
Fertilizer
It is essential to provide your plant with proper nutrition just as you would for any other plant, and the gold dust plant is no different!
Keep in mind that regular fertilizing is very important to maintaining healthy gold dust plants, and the best way to keep on top of this is to set a schedule once a month.
As a note, when feeding a gold dust plant you will want to ensure that you are using a water soluble fertilizer. Water soluble fertilizers provide a much more even feeding to your plant, allowing the plant to be in the best possible condition.
Additionally: As long as you are following the instructions on the fertilizer, it is impossible to burn the plant or cause any other adverse health side effects. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, water soluble fertilizers are even cheaper too!
Pruning
Because the gold dust plant has a slow growth rate, many people mistakenly think they do not need to prune these plants frequently.
In fact, and especially in the spring, these shrubs can become fairly leggy (the stems outgrew the leaf) as shown.
That is why is so important to stay on top of pruning, continually checking it and cutting it back as needed. This is, of course, less important when keeping your plants outside (there is most likely more room for them).
However, if you are keeping your gold dust plant inside to grow, then it is even more important to prune regularly, unless you want to have a jungle inside your house!
The positive thing is you can cut back the foliage and you can cut the plant to what you feel is most preferable height.
Repotting And Propagating Your Gold Dust Plants
Gold dust plants often become pot bound.
That is, they will grow roots to match the shape of the container, which is not a good thing because it eventually leads to strangulation and the death of the plant before its time.
This is why you may need to repot your gold dust plant, as it builds size.
Generally, you will want to repot every couple years until the plant is full-size. The best time to repot is in the initial part of the growing season.
Also, however tempting, use common sense and do not put your plant into a pot that is way too big, move up only one size each time you repot.
You will not generally need to replace all the soil as you can keep most of the old soil with the new plant but may need to add a fresh few inches on top.
As far as propagating goes, you will need to take cuttings from the stems of the plant in the initial part of the growing season.
Some plants can be propagated in water, this is not the case for your gold dust plant. You will need some good potting soil.
It is then just inserting the stem and providing the right care for the plant to establish.
What Common Problems Are There With Gold Dust Plants?
As long as you care for your gold dust plant correctly, there shouldn’t be too many problems.
We’ve said it numerous times and we will say it again, these are sturdy plants but don’t get too complacent as there are a few problems that you do need to watch out for:
- Root rot is something you will see in gold dust plants quite often and this is usually due to overwatering. When this happens, it can be nearly impossible to correct and you will likely just have to replace. So, prevention is better than a reaction – just be careful about how much water you are supplying the plant with.
- Gold dust plants suffer from pests, the most notable one is the spider mite. This is because they also like to be kept it humid in the environment in which they thrive. You may also have to watch out for aphids, mealy bugs or scale insects but all of these problems can be addressed with simply wiping over the leaves with oil.
- If you happen to notice that the leaves of your gold dust plant are changing in colour from dark green to yellow or brown this may be an indication that the roots are diseased or rotting. Again, this situation can be difficult to rectify so just make sure that you use well draining soil and watch how much water you use.
Conclusion
Aucuba Japonica, known to most people as the gold dust plant, is an evergreen shrub that is well suited for growing indoors and in the garden.
It is a fairly easy to care for plant because of its tough plant nature, although there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you do not run into any trouble.
Ensure that your plant is kept in a shady area and avoid, watering it too much.