9 named cultivars

shrub

English Yew

Taxus baccata

The Story

Plant Bio

Taxus baccata, English or common yew, is a slow, long-lived evergreen conifer from Europe, western Asia and North Africa, reaching 30 to 60 ft tall and 15 to 25 ft wide as a tree. The habit is conical to pyramidal, with thin scaly reddish-brown bark and flat linear needles 1 to 3 in long, dark green above.

Plants are male or female; females carry single seeds sitting in a fleshy red aril rather than a cone. The aril flesh is harmless, but the seed inside and every other part of the plant are seriously poisonous, including clippings, which have killed livestock. Yew regrows from old wood, which is why it clips into hedges and topiary.

Uses & Benefits:

Dense, very dark evergreen texture that takes crisp clipping, with red arils on female plants in autumn.

The classic hedging and topiary conifer, tolerant of hard renovation pruning that would kill most evergreens.

Birds eat the fleshy arils and disperse the seed, and dense growth gives excellent year-round nesting cover.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Shrub

Height

540 inches

Width

240 inches

Light

Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade

Zones

6, 7, 8

Water

Low to medium; needs sharp drainage

Humidity

Adaptable; dislikes waterlogged air-free soil

Lifespan

Exceptionally long-lived; many centuries

Native To

Europe, western Asia and North Africa

Toxicity

Highly toxic; NCSU lists it as poisonous

Planting

How to Grow

Choose full sun to partial shade with genuinely free drainage.
Test drainage carefully; standing water kills yew outright.
Plant into neutral soil, raising the bed if the ground is heavy.
Space hedging plants 18-24 in apart in a prepared trench.
Water through the first two summers, then only in drought.
Clip hedges once in late summer, cutting into old wood if needed.

Pro Tip

Yew is one of the few conifers that resprouts from bare old wood, so an overgrown hedge can be cut right back rather than replaced.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Plant it only where drainage is genuinely free ⛰️
Clip hedges and topiary in late summer ✂️
Bag and remove all clippings away from livestock 🐄
Cut overgrown plants hard back to renovate them 🪓

Don't

Do not plant in wet or compacted ground ❌
Do not leave prunings where animals can reach them ❌
Do not let children eat the red berries or their seeds ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Hedge Clipping
Weevil Control

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Formal clipped hedge, topiary and architectural screeningLong-lived specimen tree in a large garden or churchyardDark evergreen backdrop to a flower border

Companion Plants

Boxwood Holly Hornbeam Hellebore Foxglove

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

English Yew questions

What zones can English Yew grow in?

English Yew is hardy in USDA Zones 6–8. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is English Yew deer resistant?

Not reliably. Deer may browse English Yew, especially tender spring growth — plan on repellents or fencing where pressure is high.

When does English Yew bloom?

English Yew typically blooms in non-flowering; arils on female plants in fall through late fall. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does English Yew need full sun?

English Yew does best in full sun to part shade. In hot climates, afternoon shade keeps blooms fresher longer.

Is English Yew drought tolerant?

Yes — once established (usually after the first full season), English Yew handles dry spells with minimal watering. Water deeply its first year to build the root system that makes that possible.