English Yew

Description

It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may now be known as English yew, or European yew. Taxus baccata can reach 400 to 600 years of age. Some specimens live longer but the age of yews is often overestimated. Ten yews in Britain are believed to predate the 10th century. The potential age of yews is impossible to determine accurately and is subject to much dispute. There is rarely any wood as old as the entire tree, while the boughs themselves often become hollow with age, making ring counts impossible.

The yew is traditionally and regularly found in churchyards in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern France (more specifically in Normandy, The yew tree has been found near chapels, churches and cemeteries since ancient times as a symbol of the transcendence of death, It has also been suggested that yews were planted at religious sites as their long life was suggestive of eternity, or because being toxic they were seen as trees of death. Another suggested explanation is that yews were planted to discourage farmers and drovers from letting animals wander onto the burial grounds, the poisonous foliage being the disincentive. A further possible reason is that fronds and branches of yew were often used as a substitute for palms on Palm Sunday, It is usually found in the main squares of the villages where people celebrated the open councils that served as a way of general assembly to rule the village affairs. Wood from the yew is classified as a closed-pore softwood, similar to cedar and pine.

Easy to work, yew is among the hardest of the softwoods; yet it possesses a remarkable elasticity, making it ideal for products that require springiness, such as bows.

English yew (Taxus baccata) grows well in all soil types as hedge plants or topiary with dark green foliage.

English yew (Taxus baccata) is a native evergreen coniferous tree widely used in both traditional and contemporary garden designs. Also known as European yew, it is prized for its dense, dark green foliage, which retains its colour throughout the year. With a slow, manageable growth rate of around 20–40cm per year, Taxus baccata is ideal for structured hedges, screening, and sculptural topiary plants.

In autumn, female plants produce distinctive red, berry-like fruits with a fleshy aril that provide an important food source for birds. While valuable for wildlife, the seeds inside contain toxic compounds and should not be eaten by people, pets, or livestock.

The beauty of yew hedging lies in its naturally dense structure, which makes it easy to create crisp, formal hedge lines. For those who enjoy a more creative approach, Taxus baccata is also ideal for shaping into striking forms, making it a popular choice for statement topiary features.

How to Identify

Yew hedging has flat, glossy evergreen leaves arranged in neat rows along the stems when young, later forming a dense, self-supporting hedge or tree. The foliage is dark green on the upper surface with a paler underside.

Small flowers appear in spring, followed in autumn by bright red berries on female plants. These berries are sometimes mistaken for those of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), although the two species are completely unrelated.

English yew is closely related to its upright mutation, Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’). Irish yew can be identified by its needles, which grow all around the twig rather than in distinct flat rows.

How to Grow

English yew thrives in full sun, partial shade, or full shade, making it one of the most adaptable hedge plants for UK growing conditions. It prefers well-drained soil, including alkaline soils, and should be avoided in areas prone to waterlogging or root rot.

Thanks to its slow, steady growth, yew hedges require minimal maintenance and respond exceptionally well to shaping. Trimming the yew hedging once or twice a year will maintain a dense, tidy finish. Taxus baccata can be planted as bare-root, root ball, or pot-grown stock and performs equally well in formal gardens, mixed hedgerows, and wildlife-friendly landscapes.