Common Yew Taxus baccata

The English yew is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. It is also known as the common yew or European yew. It may be found singularly. in small groves, in moist forest or slopes, and the mountains of the Mediterranean. This plant is a member of the Taxaceae or yew family. The genus name, Taxus, is Latin and is the name for "yews." The species name, baccata, is Latin and means "fruit-bearing," and references the berry-like arils of the female plant.

English yew is an evergreen, conifer, conical-shaped, small tree or large shrub that reaches 30 to 60 feet in height. It has dense spreading branches with dark green linear needle-like leaves. The mature bark of the English yew is scaly and reddish-brown, and the trunks are very thick. The shiny flat dark green needles are present year-round with the young foliage emerging as a light green.

This plant is dioecious. 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. The aril is a fleshy outgrowth of the stalk that bears the seed. The seed+aril resembles a berry. Birds eat the arils and disperse the seeds.

The plant prefers moist, fertile, sandy, and loamy soils They grow best in full sun or partial shade but can tolerate full shade. It is intolerant to wet or poorly drained sites as well as extremely hot or cold temperatures. Plant this specimen in a sheltered area to reduce exposure to cold winter winds. Pruning is well tolerated. The English yew can be propagated by stem or hardwood cuttings. It may be also propagated by seeds but requires cold-warm stratification of 120-365 days.

There are cultivars of this species that are available as a dwarf, compact, variegated, or columnar. They are found more frequently than the wild-type species. Consider the English yew as a specimen, accent, hedge, screen, or foundation plant. They have also been used as topiaries. All parts of the plant are regarded as poisonous and can be fatal if ingested by humans, domestic animals, or livestock. Since this plant is poisonous consider the safety of children and pets when using this plant in a home landscape or park.

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 
• male plant has a yellowish cone at the leaf axils and is non-seed bearing
• female plant has a red fleshy cup-shaped covering or aril that encapsulates the seed

Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Potential pests include mealybugs, scale, and vine weevils. Twig and needle blights may occur. In wet or poorly drained soils, root rot may be problematic. In extremely cold temperatures and dry wind, the leaves may suffer winter burn, particularly in exposed or unsheltered sites.

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