English Yew

English yew is the ancient, dark evergreen of European churchyards and formal gardens, one of the longest-lived trees on earth, with specimens in England and Wales estimated at over a thousand years old. The flat, dark green needles are densely arranged on the branches, creating a texture so fine and uniform that it shears into the most precise hedges and topiary shapes of any conifer. It grows twenty to forty feet, but centuries of cultivation have produced dozens of forms from prostrate groundcovers to narrow columns. The flesh of the red, berry-like arils is the only part of the plant that is not toxic, seeds, foliage, and bark are all poisonous.

In Western Washington, English yew thrives in the mild, moist conditions that mirror its native climate. It grows in sun to full shade and handles the range of soils common to residential sites, including the dry shade under mature trees where most conifers fail. 'Fastigiata' (Irish yew) is the columnar form used as a vertical accent and formal specimen. Root rot (Phytophthora) in waterlogged soil is the primary disease concern. The toxicity is real, every part except the red aril flesh is poisonous to humans and livestock. Site it accordingly. For a dark, refined, shade-tolerant evergreen that shears into any form and lives for centuries, English yew is the standard by which all hedging conifers are measured.