Toxic if eaten
Yew is highly poisonous. The bark, leaves (needles), and seeds contain taxine alkaloids that act fast on the heart and can be fatal to people, cats, dogs, horses, and livestock, with very small amounts dangerous; symptoms include trembling, slow or irregular pulse, difficulty breathing, collapse, and sudden death. Only the soft red aril - the fleshy berry-like cup around the seed - is non-toxic, but the hard seed inside it is deadly, so treat the whole plant as poisonous and keep clippings away from animals.
Taxus x media 'Hicksii'
treeAnglojap yew (Taxus x media) is a classic dark-green evergreen conifer for hedges and foundations, prized for tolerating hard shearing and even deep shade where most needled evergreens fail. The upright, columnar cultivar Hicksii is a standard tall hedge yew, while spreading forms like Densiformis stay low and wide. Slow and very long-lived, yews carry soft flat needles and, on female plants, single seeds cupped in a fleshy red aril. Their great caution is toxicity: nearly the entire plant is highly poisonous to people and animals, so they are best kept away from grazing livestock and pets.
Sun
full sun to partial shade
Water
Every 10 days
Harvest
~60 days
Difficulty
medium
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
Spacing
3-4 ft apart for a hedge
Planting Depth
Set at the same depth it grew in the nursery pot; ensure sharp drainage
Soil pH
6.0-7.0
Soil Type
Well-drained sandy or loamy; never wet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4 – 7
When to Fertilize
In early spring as new growth begins
Fertilizer
Balanced slow-release evergreen fertilizer
Grow yew in full sun to deep shade in well-drained sandy or loamy soil; the one thing it will not tolerate is wet, poorly drained ground, which quickly causes fatal root rot, so drainage is the make-or-break factor. It is drought tolerant once established. Yews take heavy, repeated shearing better than almost any conifer and even resprout from old wood, making them ideal for formal hedges; trim in late spring and again in summer if needed. Protect from harsh winter wind and deicing salt, and fence from deer in heavy-browse areas. Keep prunings away from livestock, as wilted clippings remain deadly.
Direct sow
Apr 15
Projected first harvest
Jun 14
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Adults notch leaf edges and larvae eat roots; treat infested plants and keep soil well drained
Fatal in wet soil; plant only in well-drained ground and never overwater
Bumps on stems and needles suck sap; treat with horticultural oil
Deer eat yew readily despite its toxicity; fence or repel in high-pressure areas
Yew is grown as an evergreen hedge, not for harvest, and is poisonous, so nothing is gathered from it. The main task is shearing to shape in late spring; yew is unusual among conifers in resprouting from old wood, so even an overgrown hedge can be cut back hard and renewed. Bag prunings and keep them away from animals.
Yew is an ornamental evergreen and is highly poisonous - no part is edible. Its value is dense, shade-tolerant, shearable evergreen structure for hedges and foundations.
Yew is highly poisonous. The bark, leaves (needles), and seeds contain taxine alkaloids that act fast on the heart and can be fatal to people, cats, dogs, horses, and livestock, with very small amounts dangerous; symptoms include trembling, slow or irregular pulse, difficulty breathing, collapse, and sudden death. Only the soft red aril - the fleshy berry-like cup around the seed - is non-toxic, but the hard seed inside it is deadly, so treat the whole plant as poisonous and keep clippings away from animals.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.