Taxus chinensis

If you are looking for an interesting evergreen for your landscape, Chinese yew, in the Taxaceae family, may be the answer.  This small evergreen tree somewhat resembles a hemlock but grows only 10 feet in height.  A specimen just outside the lath house at the JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University is still performing magnificently after many years. You may actually be familiar with many other members of this family of trees but perhaps don’t realize it.  Known by the common name of yews, they can be tree form, shrub-like, dwarf or prostrate in habit.  Whatever the shape, all yews are narrow-leaved evergreens with needles about an inch long in two ranks that are spirally arranged along the green twigs. This tree is easy to root from cuttings, responds well to pruning, and is tolerant of heat, drought, sun and shade.