




Taxus brevifolia
The Pacific yew is a beautiful tree that grows in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It has dark green needles and produces small red berries that are loved by birds.
Habitat: Forests
The Pacific yew has dark green, flattened needles arranged in two rows, giving its branches a distinctive flat appearance. Its bark is thin, scaly, and reddish-brown, often peeling in strips. Instead of cones, it produces bright red, fleshy berry-like structures called arils.





Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
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Its super-strong wood was prized for making bows by Indigenous peoples!
Its unique red 'berries' are actually fleshy cups holding toxic seeds inside!
Many animals, especially deer, avoid eating its leaves because they are poisonous!
This tree can live to be over 500 years old, maybe even a thousand!
Pacific yew has special compounds in its bark that can be used to make powerful anti-cancer medicines.
Pacific yew has incredibly dense wood that resists rot, making it last for a very long time in damp forests.
Pacific yew can grow slowly in deep shade, a unique adaptation that helps it thrive beneath larger trees.
Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates.
Coniferous plants are typically evergreen, bearing needles or scales and reproductive cones.
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
No aliases listed yet.
Danger
2/5 · Low
Do not eat the berries from the Pacific yew, as they can make you sick.
500-1500 cm
200-500 cm
Spring
No
High
Perennial
Wind
Forests
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