English Yew

English yew, (Taxus baccata), also called common yew or European yew, (all three are lumber trade names), an ornamental evergreen tree or shrub of the yew family (Taxaceae), widely distributed throughout Europe and Asia as far east as the Himalayas. Some botanists consider the Himalayan form to be a separate species, called Himalayan yew (Taxus wallichiana). Rising to a height of 10 to 30 metres (about 35 to 100 feet), the tree has spreading branches and slightly drooping branchlets. The bark is reddish brown and flaky, sometimes deeply fissured in very old trees. Yews are among the few conifers that produce new growth easily from behind the ends of cut branches; thus, English yew is one of the only conifers regularly trimmed into hedges. All parts of an English yew, except the fleshy aril surrounding the seed, contain alkaloids that are poisonous to humans and several other animals. After swallowing the seed whole, thrushes and other birds are known to digest the aril and pass the seed intact in their droppings.

Many horticultural varieties have been developed, some of which are small shrubs. One of the most popular is the Irish yew. It has a compact columnar form and is used in formal plantings. Several hybrids have been obtained by crossing the English yew with the Japanese yew; the most common, Taxus × media, has several varieties.

English yews can live a very long time. For example, the Fortingall Yew, named for the small Scottish village where it has been growing for some 2,000 to 5,000 years, is the oldest living tree in Great Britain and one of the oldest living trees in Europe.