Duke Gardens Yew Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Duke Gardens'
- Phonetic Spelling
- sef-ah-loh-TAKS-us har-ring-TOH-nee-ah
- Description
-
Commonly called Plum Yew, Cephalotaxus harringtonia a dioecious coniferous evergreen that is native to shaded woodland areas of north-eastern Asia. This plant prefers well-drained soils and part to full shade and will grow to around 2-4 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide. This shrub is drought tolerant after established as well as heat tolerant but is not wind tolerant. This plant is particularly resistant to damage by deer.
Its name is derived from the greek words kephale and Taxus meaning 'head' and 'yew' respectively. The specific epithet harringtonia was given in recognition of the Earl of Harrington who became an early adopter and enthusiast of the species in the early 19th century. The species 'Duke Gardens' is a variety that was discovered at Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina and is noted for its compactness.
This plant produces "fruit" similar to plums which are edible, hence its common name 'Plum Yew'. However, being a dioecious plant, it requires one male plant for the female plants to produce fruit.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cephalotaxus
- Species:
- harringtonia
- Family:
- Taxaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer browsing
- Edibility:
- Edible fleshy fruit that resemble plums
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Oval
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8b, 8a, 9b, 9a
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Description:
- A confier that does not bear cones but fleshy seeds that resemble a berry only on female plants.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- Male and female flowers on separate plants.
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 1-2.5 in. glossy, dark green leaves; aromatic fragrance
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
