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Woody > Taxus > Taxus x media > Taxus x media 'Hicksii'

Taxus x media

'Hicksii'


Hicks Yew




Origin:  Raised at Hicks Nurseries New York, United States of America. A hybrid clone resulting from a Taxus cuspidata 'Nana' seed parent introduced around 1900.
            Mike's Opinion

this is Mike

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An upright spreading form commonly used as a vertical accent or material in the landscape. All portions of the plant are toxic if ingested.



Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)

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Family
Taxaceae
Genus
Taxus
Species
x media
Cultivar
'Hicksii'
Category
Woody
Type
Shrub (evergreen)
Pronunciation
USDA Hardiness Zone
5 - 9
Canadian Hardiness Zone
6 - 8
RHS Hardiness Zone
H7
Height
2-3 m
Spread
1.5 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
April
General Description
Columnar form with multiple leaders, appears lustrous green until you get up close and see the underside has white stomatic bands.
Landscape
Used to create a hedge for screening, windbreak, or foundation plantings. Can be pruned for a nice even, thick look or left for the more natural form. It can also be used by itself and can be trained as topiary.
Cultivation
Grow in full sun to partial shade, must be well drained soil sandy loam or humus and slightly acidic. Transplants well balled-in-burlap form.
Shape
Columnar, growing wider with age, can be pruned to control size or if used as a hedge.
Growth
Slow
ID Characteristic
The new bark is reddish-orange with soft dark green slightly curved leaves. There is a pink aril that has the characteristics of its two parent species cuspidata and baccata.
Pests
None serious
Habitat
Horticultural origin.
Bark/Stem Description
New bark dark orange, glossy very soft and malleable, old bark, gray and flaky.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description
Globose, orange terminal buds.
Leaf Description
Dark green about 3 cm in length and about 5 mm in width with a glaucous underside. The needles are stiff, broader than T. baccata and arranged radially on errect shoots and two-ranked on lateral shoots.
Flower Description
'Hicksii' only produces female flowers.
Fruit Description
Round red berries (arial) about 1 cm in diameter with a small hole in the centre where the olive green seed sits. The fruit is eatable and quite sweet while the olive green seed is toxic.
Colour Description
Rich dark green from a distance, but on close inspection it appears lighter due to it's bloom.
Texture Description
Looks prickly, but is soft to the touch. Not pruned it appears quite rough but is still soft textured.
Notable Specimens
The A.M. (Mac) Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. The Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
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