European yew

Synonyms: yew, zelenitsa, negniuchka, negnoy, red wood, common yew, European yew

European yew (Taxus baccata L.) – a species of evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Taxus in the family Taxaceae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in Sp. Pl. 2: 1040 in 1753. In cultivation since 1838.

Occurs in western, central and southern parts of Europe – to the north up to western Norway, southern Sweden and the Aland Islands, in northwest Africa, northern Iran, and also the southwest of Asia. In Ukraine yew forests are found in the Carpathians and the Crimean Mountains (Chatyr-Dag, Belbek Canyon). Forests also occur in the western part of the North Caucasus (Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve, yew-boxwood grove). Individual specimens grow in Belarus (Białowieża Forest), Kaliningrad Oblast, and in western parts of Lithuania and Estonia.

It is an evergreen dioecious tree in nature 12-18 (28) m tall, in cultivation 6-10 m tall. It grows slowly for up to 4-6 years, then faster. Lives 1500 years, some specimens up to 4000 years. Crown reaches 6-10 m in diameter, dense, variable in shape, often ovate-conical, becoming more open, multi-topped and spreading with age. Bark orange-brown, thin, becoming gray with age, coarsely furrowed, splitting into peeling wide plates. Branches arranged alternately, numerous, widely spreading, with an ascending tip. Young shoots green or brownish-green.

Needles are spirally arranged, on side shoots they grow in two or fewer distinct rows, reaching 1.5-3 (4) cm in length and 0.2-0.25 cm in width, linear, flat, with a short-spiny apex, slightly revolute at the margin, dark green above, glossy, with a well-marked midrib, below matte yellow-green or light yellow with two stomatal bands. Needles persist on shoots for 6-8 years.

Microstrobili are very small, yellow, globular, borne on the underside of last year’s branches. Megastrobili solitary, small, inconspicuous.

Seeds hard, oval, brown with small spots, surrounded by a fleshy bright red edible aril 0.7-1 cm long and 0.6-0.9 cm wide, from which the seed protrudes by 0.1-0.2 cm.

Seeds, leaves, and bark are highly poisonous. The aril is edible.

Varieties:

• Taxus baccata f. columnaris (Carrière ) Beissner
• Taxus baccata f. compressa (Carrière ) Beissner
• Taxus baccata f. expansa (Carrière) Handb
• Taxus baccata f. fastigiata (Lindl.) Pilg.
• Taxus baccata f. imperialis Beissner
• Taxus baccata f. intermedia (Carrière ) Beissner
• Taxus baccata f. linearis (Carrière) Beissner
• Taxus baccata f. pendula Pilger
• Taxus baccata f. procumbens (Loudon) Pilger
• Taxus baccata f. recurvata Beissner
• Taxus baccata f. stricta Rehder
• Taxus baccata var. columnaris Carrière
• Taxus baccata var. compressa Carrière
• Taxus baccata var. empetrifolia Spjut
• Taxus baccata var. expansa Carrière
• Taxus baccata var. fastigiata (Lindl.) Loud.
• Taxus baccata var. hibernica Hook. ex Henkel & Hochst.
• Taxus baccata var. intermedia Carrière
• Taxus baccata var. imperialis Carrière
• Taxus baccata var. linearis Carrière
• Taxus baccata var. pendula Kent in Veitch
• Taxus baccata var. procumbens Loudon
• Taxus baccata var. recurvata (Hort. ex Lawson) Carrière
• Taxus baccata stricta Lawson

Hardiness zone: 5b (-25°C)

Site: the most shade-tolerant species of all yews, requires locations protected from sun and wind. Tolerates partial shade; in shade it is more frost-hardy and better colored. Demanding of air and soil humidity. Drought-tolerant, undemanding, but does not like stagnant waterlogging.

Soil: Grows on any garden soil, on calcareous and acidic soils, not demanding of fertility, but more decorative on neutral, fertile soil with good drainage.

Planting: soil mix – topsoil, peat and sand in proportions 3:2:2. Transplants well, even when mature.

Care: in hot and dry summers to maintain decorativeness it is recommended to water the plant 1-2 times a month at a rate of 1-2 buckets per plant and to mist frequently. In the first years after planting it is recommended to loosen the soil to a depth of 10-15 cm. Young trees are recommended to be wintered with a 5-7 cm layer of peat and protected from sunscald with boughs.

Pruning: distinguished by a high sprouting ability. Easily tolerates clipping and heavy pruning removing ½ of the shoot when forming hedges or crown.

Diseases: phomopsis juniperovora, phytophthora cinnamomi

Pests: yew midge, yew false toddybear (yew scale), parthenolecanium pomeranicum, cecidophyopsis psilaspis, vine weevils (otiorhynchus singularis).

Propagation: produces abundant suckers. Propagated by seed; ornamental cultivars and forms by cuttings, grafting or layering. Seeds do not lose viability for up to 4 years. After collection they are stored in a dry room at 5-6 °C, but it is recommended to sow them in autumn immediately after collection. First seedlings appear in 1-2 years. For spring sowing stratification for 7 months is recommended. Cuttings root very well. Cuttings from upward-growing shoots produce bushes with compact and vertical growth; cuttings from horizontal shoots form low spreading shrubs.

Uses: widely used for ornamental groups or as solitary specimens, for decorating parterre lawns, creating borders, hedges, rock gardens and heaths, for decorating the lower tier under tree canopies, as well as for creating green sculptures.