Yew Tree

Yew Tree, Taxus baccata: “Life and Death”

It is the tree of life, spanning millennia, with hard wood that lasts for hundreds of thousands of years. It is the tree of death, every part of it toxic, except the red flesh that encases the poisonous seeds. For gardeners, yew is a magical tree, unbeatable for topiary, providing a garden with a sense of dignity and intrigue. Clipped razor straight or grown in amorphous lumps and bumps, yew is contemporary as well as retro: it is a tree of opposites.

Yews (Taxus spp.) are evergreen shrubs that grow in shade. These plants can also be trees, depending on the type you grow. It is a shade-loving plant with a long history. The short, flat needles of yews are dark green on top and light green on their undersides. New foliage in spring is bright green and soft. Yews are relatively slow-growing and can either be left unpruned or pruned into a hedge.

The hybrid cultivars of the Taxus x media group are crosses between Japanese yews and English yews. All parts of this plant are poisonous, except for the red berry or aril. However, since the seeds are poisonous, and the seed matures within the berry, the berries should be considered off limits. Keep small children away.

Taunton yews (Taxus x media 'Tauntonii') are the best yews for regions with severe winters because it is resistant to winter burn. These shrubs grow about 3 to 4 feet tall and have a similar spread. The plants require a soil with good drainage. Taunton yews are hardy to zone 4.

Above: People who claim to loathe yew—because it sucks up light and moisture—plant it quite happily as a smooth green hedge or cut into a cone. An early detractor, William Robinson (godfather of “wild” gardening and colleague of Gertrude Jekyll), railed against yew as a design element, complaining that many English and Scottish gardens were “disfigured” when this fine native tree was “carved into ugly shapes.” Yet 100 years later we are still disfiguring, with relish.

As a building block, yew is beyond compare. Although William Robinson complained that artificial clipping looked uncomfortable with a looser style of planting, yew is increasingly appreciated in its role as a backbone to prairie or meadow planting.

The yews of Painswick churchyard, in Gloucestershire. Historically, there is a connection between yew, churchyards, long bows, and cattle. Yew was the ideal wood for making a springy bow. Churchyards were the only part of a settlement that was enclosed, before the 18th century. This made them ideal locations for growing yew, which would otherwise be munched happily by livestock, before the animals dropped dead.

There is also a connection between yew, pagan burial sites, and churches. With their contrasting symbolism of death as well as life, yews were sacred to Druids. Since these sites were later appropriated by Christians, several ancient yews in England (well over 1,000 years old) predate the churches that they stand close to.

The Latin name for yew is particularly descriptive, with Taxus descending from the same word that gives us “toxic” and baccata meaning “laden with berries.” Unlike the nettle and its sting, branches of yew retain toxicity even after being cut from the source.

The foliage of Taxus baccata is used in cancer treatment; taxol has anti-cancer properties, decelerating the growth of affected cells.

Standing in a tunnel of yew and looking up is instructive. Its strange beauty is revealed beneath the smooth velvety veneer, twisting into prehistoric shapes. Left entirely alone, yew trees are hauntingly beautiful, in their natural shaggy state.

Cheat Sheet

With its dense foliage, yew is the most versatile evergreen for clipping into any shape.