Without any photos for a visual confirmation, I'd guess they were vegetative buds. A great many plants, often broadleaf evergreens like the Aucuba, will set buds in fall or even early winter but the buds will usually not develop or mature until the new spring growth spurt.

Hmmm, they must be vegatative them, if this is normal. I thought maybe the soil had too much fertilizer in it. I also have an azalea that is developing flower buds at the moment.

Aucuba flowers are nothing much to write home about so you aren't missing much. Nothing like as impressive as Azaleas. Aucuba doesn't really need any fertilising. It's a tough denizen of gloomy, urban gardens here.

It is normal for azaleas to have flower buds at this time of year. They overwinter and bloom in spring, or occasionally bloom if there's a cold spell followed by a warm spell.

I thought maybe the soil had too much fertilizer in it.

==>>> this is very possible.. because contrary to our best wisdom ... you insisted on using such ...

but it has nothing to do with a plants natural cycles of setting bud in fall ...

what worries me.. is whether they are just now doing such ... or whether you just noticed .... it would be very late in the season in my z5 for this to be happening now.. and i would fear they would not harden off properly.. before the first FREEZE ... and that could be a fert problem ....

but i dont know how it all works in your z7 ....

ken

Mr. Goldstrike is a male pollinizer--the flowers are not showy. The female aucubas produce flowers that are not any more exciting than the male's, really. But the bright red berries that follow, if the female flowers are pollinized, are very attractive and long lasting on the plant.