Aucuba leaves droop and fold down at temps under around 28 degrees. They'll pop back up with warm weather. They are not 'freezing'. Aucubas are hardy up into zone 7a, so they'll be fine.

They were droopy but when i touched them they were rock hard. I could not fold a leaf without it breaking in half.

Even though fully hardy for the zone, broadleaf evergreens are susceptible to foliar cold damage, especially if the weather turns cold suddenly. This is even more common when the plants are in an exposed location or vulnerable to winter winds. Even in my very mild climate, this is not an uncommon phenomenon after a brisk Arctic blast. Brittle, hard leaves during cold periods can indicate the leaves are frozen but how much actual damage this can cause is variable. If not cold enough or sufficiently frozen to damage the cellular structure of the leaf, then they will bounce back with milder temps. Either way, the leaves may well show some signs of cold damage but the extent will not be obvious until spring. And if it is apparent then, just cut it off.

This from a website:

'When certain broadleaf evergreens get cold, they take measures to protect themselves. They practice thermotropism. Much like a human wraps their arms around themselves or animals huddle when cold, rolling up offers protection from cold winds. The inner part of the leaf, where a lot of moisture loss occurs, is hidden from the wind when rolled. Moisture loss is what causes most winter injury in plants.

Some long time gardeners claim they can tell the temperature by how the rhodie leaves look - the more they droop and roll, the colder it is, until around zero when they look like green beans hanging from the branches. As it warms again, the leaves unroll and stand up again.'

So, relax. The 20s is nothing for Aucuba.

I usually get down into the teens in the winter and so far no noticeable damage to the leaves. A few times the temps have been in the single digits and hasn't done any damage to the Aucubas. They curl up when it's real cold even though they're in sheltered areas. Some rhodies do, and some don't.

My main problem is Elk. They can reach up as high as I can. They like the new growth. I see more and more every year. Twenty five years ago I didn't see any damage, or them, for several years at a time. I saw two bucks three days ago.

mike

Yikes Mike! Looks like something to contend with. And you can't shoot 'em or trap them. Do repellents help at all? Maybe a junkyard dog tethered in your yard would work.

I know this Aucuba Japonica post is old but this has been my experience: I live in zone 6b and decided to plant some when I saw my neighbors. I learned from watching their plant freeze- all leaves turn black and fall off- AND then the plant totally recovers.Leaf loss & blackening seems to only happen in zone 6b when the temps are reallly low. This time it happened again and the lowest temp was -4 below zero. For the past 4 years of winter they kept all their leaves with no problems. So yes they should recover if they do in our zone!