Taxus baccata

English yew is a large, needled, evergreen conifer with a conical or pyramidal shape. It is a tree in the yew family (Taxaceae). It is native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa. The species epithet, baccata, is Latin for "berry-like" and references the berry-like arils (fleshy structures cradling the seeds) of the female plant. 

English yew prefers moist, fertile, sandy or loamy soils with a neutral pH. It grows best in full sun or partial shade. It is intolerant of wet or poorly drained sites as well as extremely hot or cold temperatures. Plant it in a sheltered area to reduce exposure to cold winter winds. It may reach 30 to 60 feet high and 15 to 25 feet wide. Pruning is well tolerated. The preferred method of propagation is stem cuttings as seeds require cold-warm stratification of 120 to 365 days. 

This yew is dioecious, which means both male and female plants are required to produce the showy red arils. Male plants produce small, pollen-producing cones. Female plants produce single-seeded, fleshy cones that develop into naked seeds partially covered by showy red arils. Birds eat the arils and disperse the seeds.

Cultivars of this species are available as dwarf, compact, variegated or columnar. Consider planting an English yew on a slope/bank, in a woodland setting or a winter garden. It also works well as an accent, foundation planting, hedge or privacy screen. It is an excellent subject for topiary.

Quick ID Hints: 

• Evergreen, conifer tree or shrub with wide-spreading branches.
• Mature trees have scaly reddish-brown bark.
• Shiny dark green, linear, needle-like leaves that measure about 0.5 to 1.5 inches long.
• The leaves have a yellowish-green underside.
• The male plant has a yellowish cone at the leaf axils and is non-seed bearing.
• The female plant has a red fleshy cup-shaped covering or aril that encapsulates the seed.

Insect, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Root rot, winter burn and twig and needle blights may occur. Potential pests include mealybugs, scale, pine needle scale, black vine weevils. Also these pests of conifers: Arborvitae leafminer, bagworms, balsam twig aphid balsam woolly adelgid, eastern spruce gall adelgid, introduced pine sawfly, juniper webworm, Nantucket pine tip moth, pine bark adelgid, redheaded pine sawfly, spittlebugs, spruce spider mite, white pine aphid.    

VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I:  Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II:  Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University