Japanese Plum Yew

Japanese plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia, Cephalotaxaceae) is a slow-growing conifer from Japan and Korea, reaching up to 30 feet but often remaining shrubby in cultivation, taking about 10 years to reach 4 feet. Linear, sickle-shaped needles (4 to 6 centimeters) are arranged in a V-shaped trough pattern and are glossier than those of true yews. The species is dioecious, with male and female plants required for fruit production.

Japanese plum yew grows in part shade with tolerance for heavy shade and deer browse, hardy in Zones 5 to 6. Maintenance needs are medium. It tolerates heat better than true yews. Disease associations are extensive, including white pine blister rust, Phytophthora root rot, Armillaria root rot, dwarf mistletoe, and several needle cast diseases. Pest associations include eriophyid mite, pine bark adelgid, white pine weevil, spider mite, and mountain pine beetle. Cultivars include 'Fastigiata' (upright, 10 feet), 'Duke Gardens' (wide-spreading shrub, 4 feet), 'Prostrata' (low growing, 2 to 3 feet), 'Korean Gold' (yellow young needles, 6 to 10 feet), and 'Gold Splash' (low, 2 feet). Bark, leaves, and seeds are poisonous.