Taxus baccata (English Yew, Irish Yew)
Michael's Opinion
Not typically used in North American gardens but some cultivars are occasionally seen. A long lived, dark green, almost foreboding evergreen. One of the narrow-formed cultivars worth a try as an accent tree.
Botanical Information
Family | Taxaceae |
Genus | Taxus |
Species | baccata |
Category | Woody |
Type | Tree (evergreen) |
Origin | Native to many places ranging from Europe to the Himalayas. |
Pronunciation |
Details
USDA Hardiness Zone | 6b - 7a |
USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
Canadian Hardiness Zone | 6b - 7 |
Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
RHS Hardiness Zone | H6 |
RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
Temperature (°C) | -21 - (-15) |
Temperature (°F) | -5 - 5 |
Height | 10 - 20 m |
Spread | 5 - 9 m |
Growth | Slow |
Flowering Period | March |
Description and Growing Information
General Description | Taxus baccata is an evergreen tree with thin, flaky, scaly and furrowed bark and dark green leaves with lustrous uppers. The best specimens are found in old English graveyards. |
ID Characteristic | Dense branching with a broad, rounded or shrubby form. Foliage is dark green and bark is red-brown and furrowed. Needles are 1.25 - 2.5 cm long, usually spirally arranged. |
Shape | The outline is pyramidal. |
Landscape | Specimen, shade, and hedge. |
Propagation | Usually propagated from cuttings because they root very easily. Seedlings are seldom propagated due to relatively slow growth. |
Cultivation | Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil with sand and loam. Grows well with other plants since it does not compete for nutrients. It has a strong fibrous root system which makes for easy transplanting. |
Pests | Possible problems include: Taxus mealybug and/or scale, black vine weevil and yew-gall midge. Phytophora can be problematic in damp, mild conditions. In severe winter the foliage is prone to desiccation or 'winter burn'. |
Notable Specimens | Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England. Chelsea Physic Garden, London, United Kingdom. Stourhead Gardens, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. |
Habitat | Usually found in woods and shrub atop limestone. |
Bark/Stem Description | Uniquely reddish-brown, usually thin and furrowed. On mature plants the bark trunk often becomes scaly, flaky and fluted. |
Leaf Description | Needles have a black-green upper and yellow-green underside, 1 - 2.5 cm long with curved margins and a prominent midrib. They are spirally arranged, spreading in erect shoots. |
Flower Description | Dioecious, male strobili (cones) arise from leaf axils on the bottom of branchlets of the previous year's growth. Each branchlet consists of 6 - 14 stamens with short filaments. |
Fruit Description | Fruit are olive-brown, about 5 mm long, usually biangular (rarely triangular or quadrangular). The seed-covering (arial) is red and rounded. |
Texture Description | A fine to medium textured plant. |