Woody > Taxus > Taxus × media > Taxus × media 'Tauntonii'
Taxus × media
'Tauntonii'
Taunton Yew
Origin: The Taunton Yew is a cultivar of the English Yew, which is native to Europe. The cultivar ‘Tauntonii’ comes from a small town named Taunton in England which gives the name a nice local touch.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Taxus x media ‘Tauntonii’ is a beautiful, slow-growing evergreen shrub. This shrub is a go-to for many gardeners due to the plants ability to give some structure, as well as its tolerance of significant pruning and other cultural practices. The attractive dark-green foliage turns to a yellow-brown colour for the winter months, which gives it seasonal interest. The upright form of this shrub allows it to be used in small spaces, and is a great way to add some density and dark green colour to the garden. Due to this shrub's preference of well drained soils and shade to full sun conditions, I believe that this plant is very easy to maintain and will grow just about anywhere if taken care of properly. Overall, I believe that the Taxus x media ‘Tauntonii’ is a great shrub for a residential property and can be shaped and played with over time to the owners liking.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Taxaceae |
| Genus |
| Taxus |
| Species |
| × media |
| Cultivar |
| 'Tauntonii' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4 - 8 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 3b |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-25) - 30 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| (-13) - 86 |
| Height |
| 1 - 1.2 m |
| Spread |
| 1 - 1.5 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| The Taunton Yew is generally very popular due to its high ornamental value. The ornamental value comes from its ability to be shaped and pruned, as well as its dark green foliage. It is the perfect tree for a garden. The Taunton Yew, like other Yews, is an evergreen tree. New growth on the ‘Tauntonii’ is a nice yellow colour, later turning to a darker green. This easy to care for plant will tolerate various conditions and can have little to no winter burn. |
| Landscape |
| In today’s landscape, the Taxus x media ‘Tauntonii’ is used in a variety of different ways due to its overall low maintenance needs. It is common that you will see the ‘Tauntonii’ used as foundation plantings as well as home garden plants. This plant has many benefits that allows it to be happy in just about any location it is provided with, and it has great ornamental value because of its general shape. The Taunton Yew offers year-round interest and is generally a popular plant to see. |
| Cultivation |
| The cultivation of the Taunton Yew is a fairly easy process. The Taunton Yew likes to be homed in a well-draining, moist soil in its early stages to provide the nutrients that are needed. The soil pH that is preferred for this shrub ranges from 5.0 to 7.5. Although this shrub likes well-draining soil, it is very versatile and can tolerate most soil types. Full sun and some shade will make this plant thrive, along with lots of watering during the early stages. Fertilizer application during the springtime may help with healthy growth, but would not be beneficial during the other seasons of the year. |
| Shape |
| The Taunton Yew is naturally an upright, dense growing plant that is extremely ideal for shaping and pruning. Many different shapes can be achieved with this shrub, depending on the desired appearance. Some of the shapes possible are: Spiral, Cone, Square, and Spheric. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| The Taunton Yew grows upright with dense, dark-green, needled foliage dotted with red berries. |
| Pests |
| Some common pests seen on the Taunton Yew include: Japanese Beetles, Spider Mites, Scale insects, and Bagworms. Even though the Taunton Yew still suffers from some pest damage, it is known to be much more tolerant than many other plants. You shouldn't have to be too worried about major issues, as the Taunton Yew really is easy to look after. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The bark and stem of the Taunton Yew is a thin brown-red colour. Young bark is super pretty and very smooth to the touch, giving it some nice ornamental value. As the shrub starts to get older, old bark turns rougher and may lose some of that colour. This bark isn't much different to other similar plant's, but still adds ornamental value. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The Taunton Yew’s leaf buds are very small and narrow, and are a dark brown colour. As the buds are growing, small brown scales are visible and will eventually drop off when the bud has grown enough. The buds are usually found directly connected to a branch and aren't very distinguishable. |
| Leaf Description |
| With the Taxus x media ‘Tauntonii’ being an evergreen, its leaves are quite simple and similar to other relatives. The leaves are arranged in a spiral pattern around the stem, which can look quite appealing. With this shrub being on the smaller side, it is typical to find that the leaves are only about 1 cm to 2 cm in length. The colour of the leaves is a dark green that has the evergreen glossy smooth feel. With an alternate arrangement, these leaves are able to fill in quite nicely. The leaves of the ‘Tauntonii’ have a very simple structure. |
| Flower Description |
| Although you may not think that the Taunton Yew has any bloom, in the spring time lots of little flowers come out. These flowers are not a major aesthetic benefit, as they are on the smaller side and are not particularly showy. These flowers are a green-yellow colour, which makes them hard to stand out. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit on the Taunton Yew is a small red berry that grows up to 2 cm in diameter. The shiny red colour makes these shrub's berries a great seasonal decoration. The scientific name of these berries is called an aril, but can more commonly be known as a berry. This is a single-seeded fruit, and they are arranged spirally along the stem. The fruit of the Taunton Yew is very appealing to the eye. |
| Colour Description |
| Between the dark green foliage and the reddish-brown bark, this shrub mainly is decorated with a beautiful dark green colour. The arils on the Taunton Yew are bright red, making them stand out from the rest of the plant. As bark gets older, it may turn to a brown-greyish colour. Overall, the berries and flowers on this plant help to offer some contrast, while the Taunton Yew is mostly dark green. |
| Texture Description |
| Young bark of the Taxus x media ‘Tauntonii’ is very smooth to the touch and gradually becomes rougher as the tree grows in age and size. The leaves are also smooth and soft to the touch, but can be pointy if touched at the tip. The berries are a glossy red and are very smooth. |
| Propagation |
| When propagating the Taunton Yew, a couple different techniques could be used. Seed propagation is when you take a seed from the ‘Tauntonii’ fruit, and plant it in a nursery setting. Grafting is another possible method, but it is very difficult and requires some finicky labour. The third and best propagation method for the Taunton Yew is by cuttings. This is when you take a cutting from a parent plant and cover the cut with rooting hormone, then place it in soil and give it a humid setting. Keeping the cutting soil moist will help to develop roots. This is the best method because of the similarity between the parent and the cutting, which means that your new plant will be almost identical to its parent. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The Taunton Yew has been known to be used for traditional medicine purposes, and has also aided in the treatment of cancer. The Yews have been used for many generations in various medicines, but the fruit can be toxic to humans. Yews are also being studied in today's modern medicine world as potential treatment medicine for Alzheimer’s. |
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