SEATTLE — If you’re having difficulty finding a shrub that will survive in dry shade, especially underneath giant evergreens that suck up every inch of available moisture, give Aucuba japonica a try.

Many factors might go into choosing which plants we use in our landscapes. For most of us, the primary concern is the aesthetic value of the plant — how it looks in our yards. We all have different ...

Q: My aucuba shrub has many blackened leaves. About half are either totally black or have black spots. What is going on? Cindy MacNabb, Decatur A: I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that your aucuba has ...

For winter landscape interest, it is hard to beat the Japanese aucuba. A few years ago, this struck home to me as we were filming a TV segment at one of my favorite small gardens, the Biedenharn ...

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Casual gardeners might think almost any shade-tolerant plant would thrive in a screen enclosure. But plants suitable for life under screens require characteristics that disqualify many species. The ...