Aucuba is a genus of three to ten species of flowering plants, now placed in the family Garryaceae, although formerly classified in the Aucubaceae or Cornaceae.

[2] They are evergreen shrubs or small trees 2–13 m tall, similar in appearance to the laurels of the genus Laurus, having glossy, leathery leaves, and are among the shrubs that are mistakenly called laurels in gardens.

Aucubas are dioecious, having separate male and female plants.

Flowers are small, 4–8 mm diameter, each with four purplish-brown petals; 10-30 are in loose cymes.

[4] Three species (A. chinensis, A. himalaica, A. japonica) have traditionally been accepted, but more recently Flora of China[4] and Plants of the World Online[1] accept ten species: