English yew

Identification and origin

Taxus baccata belongs to the yew family, Taxaceae. Its natural range covers much of Europe, from the British Isles and Scandinavia to the Iberian Peninsula, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Caucasus, extending into Morocco, Algeria, Iran, and the Azores.

It is an evergreen conifer, a tree or large shrub with a conical to pyramidal habit. Left to grow freely it reaches 29.5–59 ft tall and 15–24.5 ft wide, but it is easily kept much smaller. Its flat needles, 0–2 in long, are arranged in two rows: glossy dark green above, yellowish green beneath. The thin, reddish-brown bark is scaly.

Yew is dioecious: each plant is either male or female. Males carry small yellowish pollen cones in the leaf axils. Females produce a single seed half enclosed in a bright red fleshy cup, the aril, which ripens in fall; birds eat it and spread the seeds. Its lifespan is remarkable: some churchyard yews are thought to be more than a thousand years old.

Common cultivars include ‘Fastigiata’, the Irish yew, narrowly columnar; ‘Fastigiata Aurea’ and ‘Standishii’, columnar and golden; ‘Repandens’, dwarf and spreading; and ‘Amersfoort’, a dwarf with an irregular habit.

Light

Yew grows in full sun or partial shade, and it is one of the few conifers that thrive in deep shade. It tolerates wind and urban pollution. Golden cultivars prefer partial shade: strong summer sun can scorch their foliage, while heavy shade turns it green.

Watering

Water a newly planted yew regularly for at least its first year, until the roots have spread into the soil. If the soil is dry a few centimeters down, water deeply. Once established, it gets by on rainfall and handles drought fairly well.

In a container, the water supply is limited: the mix should never dry out in summer or stay soggy in winter. Standing water is the main enemy, because it rots the roots. A mulch of well-rotted compost, spread on damp soil in spring or fall, keeps the soil moist; leave 4 in clear around the trunk.

Potting mix

Yew adapts to almost any soil, chalky, clay, loam, or sand, acidic or alkaline, as long as it drains well. It prefers moist, fertile ground with a neutral to slightly acidic pH, and it cannot tolerate waterlogged soil: avoid low spots and areas near gutter downspouts.

In heavy soil, plant on a ridge at least 6 in high and about 3.5 ft wide, let it settle, then cover the roots with no more than 1 in of soil.

In the ground, fertilizer is rarely needed; a general-purpose fertilizer in late winter can boost growth. In containers, nutrients run out quickly, so feed regularly during the growing season.

Temperature

Yew is very cold hardy: in Europe it survives the harshest continental winters, below -4 °F. On the other hand, it dislikes intense heat and cold winter winds, which dry out the foliage and cause winter burn, so give it shelter on exposed sites. In North America it is grown in USDA zones 6a to 7b; ‘Fastigiata’ is reliably hardy only through zone 6.

Repotting

Plant in fall or early spring. For a hedge, choose plants 18 in – 2 ft tall, ideally bare-root: they establish faster than large specimens. Even so, its compact root system makes larger plants fairly easy to establish.

In a container, yew makes an excellent topiary subject: clipped into a cone, pyramid, or spiral, it stays compact and gives a patio year-round structure. Choose a large container with drainage holes, and remember that a potted yew depends entirely on you for water and food.

Pruning

Yew takes pruning exceptionally well and, unlike most conifers, regrows from old wood. An established hedge can grow 12 in a year: trim it once a year in summer or early fall, or two or three times over the summer for a very formal hedge. Where winters are harsh, avoid pruning in midsummer: the regrowth does not have time to harden off and can be killed by cold, so early spring is a better time.

To cut back an overgrown hedge, spread the work over three years in mid-spring: first the top, 6 in below the desired height, then one side, then the other. A hedge that is bare at the base can be cut back to 6–8 in above the ground in early spring, but it will take years to recover. Columnar yews splay open with age; tie the branches together with strong twine. Wear gloves when handling clippings.

Propagation

Cuttings are the easiest method and the only one that reproduces a cultivar exactly. Take semi-ripe cuttings 4–6 in long in late summer or early fall and overwinter them in a cold frame; softwood cuttings can also be taken in early summer. Choose upright shoots, except for prostrate cultivars, or the new plant can struggle to form a leader.

Seed takes patience. Mix fresh seeds with coarse sand, keep them moist at about 70 °F for four to five months, then sow outdoors in spring: germination can take one to two years. Seedlings can differ from the parent in leaf color.

Common problems

• Bronze or bronze-red foliage: waterlogging or drought; container plants and recently planted yews are more susceptible.
• Widespread yellowing or browning: often a root problem caused by too much water, sometimes Phytophthora root rot.
• Scorched foliage in late winter: winter burn from cold winds, or late regrowth killed by cold.
• Dying twigs and needles: twig and needle blights.
• Pests: black vine weevil, scale insects, mealybugs, tortrix moths, and gall mites.
• Uneven color along a hedge: often normal in seed-grown plants; young growth is paler and darkens over the summer.

A single symptom can have several causes: check drainage, watering, exposure, and the roots before drawing conclusions.

Toxicity

Highly poisonous to people, dogs, cats, horses, and livestock. Every part is dangerous except the flesh of the aril, and the seed inside it is extremely toxic. The toxic principles are taxine A and B and taxiphyllin. In people, ingestion can cause vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, irregular heart rhythm, and loss of consciousness, up to cardiac arrest. In animals, signs include tremors, difficulty breathing, vomiting, seizures, and sudden death from acute heart failure. The plant does not cause contact dermatitis. Never plant it within reach of grazing animals, keep an eye on young children, and if any part is swallowed, seek emergency care, a poison control center, or a veterinarian right away.