
Taxus baccata
English Yew, Irish Yew
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Not typically used in North American gardens but some cultivars are occasionally seen. A long lived, dark green, almost foreboding evergreen. One of the narrow-formed cultivars worth a try as an accent tree.
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Family |
Taxaceae |
Genus |
Taxus |
Species |
baccata |
Category |
Woody |
Type |
Tree (evergreen) |
Pronunciation |
USDA Hardiness Zone |
6b - 7a |
Canadian Hardiness Zone |
6b - 7 |
RHS Hardiness Zone |
H6 |
Temperature (°C) |
-21 - (-15) |
Temperature (°F) |
-5 - 5 |
Height |
10 - 20 m |
Spread |
5 - 9 m |
General Description |
Taxus baccata is an evergreen tree with thin, flaky, scaly and furrowed bark and dark green leaves with lustrous uppers. The best specimens are found in old English graveyards. |
Landscape |
Specimen, shade, and hedge. |
Cultivation |
Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil with sand and loam. Grows well with other plants since it does not compete for nutrients. It has a strong fibrous root system which makes for easy transplanting. |
Shape |
The outline is pyramidal. |
Growth |
Slow |
ID Characteristic |
Dense branching with a broad, rounded or shrubby form. Foliage is dark green and bark is red-brown and furrowed. Needles are 1.25 - 2.5 cm long, usually spirally arranged. |
Pests |
Possible problems include: Taxus mealybug and/or scale, black vine weevil and yew-gall midge. Phytophora can be problematic in damp, mild conditions. In severe winter the foliage is prone to desiccation or 'winter burn'. |
Habitat |
Usually found in woods and shrub atop limestone. |
Bark/Stem Description |
Uniquely reddish-brown, usually thin and furrowed. On mature plants the bark trunk often becomes scaly, flaky and fluted. |
Leaf Description |
Needles have a black-green upper and yellow-green underside, 1 - 2.5 cm long with curved margins and a prominent midrib. They are spirally arranged, spreading in erect shoots. |
Flower Description |
Dioecious, male strobili (cones) arise from leaf axils on the bottom of branchlets of the previous year's growth. Each branchlet consists of 6 - 14 stamens with short filaments. |
Fruit Description |
Fruit are olive-brown, about 5 mm long, usually biangular (rarely triangular or quadrangular). The seed-covering (arial) is red and rounded. |
Texture Description |
A fine to medium textured plant. |
Notable Specimens |
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England. Chelsea Physic Garden, London, United Kingdom. |
Propagation |
Usually propagated from cuttings because they root very easily. Seedlings are seldom propagated due to relatively slow growth. |