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Woody > Taxus > Taxus cuspidata > Taxus cuspidata

Taxus cuspidata


Japanese Yew




Origin:  Introduced into cultivation in 1853.
            Mike's Opinion

this is Mike

"

An attractive evergreen with shiny green foliage. Pruning and shearing these evergreens gives it limitless landscape uses. It should not be planted where water may stand, even for a short time since it is intolerant of wet feet. It is slow growing and it quite long lived.



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

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Family
Taxaceae
Genus
Taxus
Species
cuspidata
Category
Woody
Type
Shrub (evergreen)
Pronunciation
USDA Hardiness Zone
4 - 7
Canadian Hardiness Zone
3b - 6a
RHS Hardiness Zone
H7
Temperature (°C)
-35 -(-28)
Temperature (°F)
-30-(-20)
Height
2-10 m
Spread
2-10 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
April
General Description
A small tree with distinct bark. Can be grown (trained) into many different shapes and forms. it has straight or curved needles and is single or a multi-stemmed shrub.
Landscape
Pruning the evergreen in different ways gives it many landscape purposes such as topiary and hedges.
Cultivation
Transplants well as a balled-and-burlaped or field dug plant. Prefers moist soils, usually sand, but can adapt. The soil must be well drained to keep the roots from drowning as it is intolerant of wet soils.
Shape
Flat-topped to pyramidal.
Growth
Slow
ID Characteristic
Exfoliating reddish brown bark. Red arial covering the seed.
Pests
None of note.
Habitat
Found in the mountains throughout Japan and Korea.
Bark/Stem Description
Beautiful reddish, brown bark that exfoliates in scales.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description
Buds are brown in colour and are ovoid-oblong in shape.
Leaf Description
Needle like foliage. Dull green colour on upper side and paler on the underside of the needles. Two-ranked needles are not distinctive and are short-stalked to about 1-3 cm long.
Flower Description
Dioecious, forms on previous years wood; ornamentally unimportant.
Fruit Description
A semi- attractive red arial covering a hard olive coloured seed.
Colour Description
Dark green on top of the needles, yellowish-green on the bottom. Some winter yellowing can occur.
Texture Description
Medium texture, sharply pointed waxy feeling needles.
Notable Specimens
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Propagation
Propagated by hardwood cuttings.
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