# Yew (*Taxus*)

The Yew is a small evergreen tree with dark green leaves. It's often found in gardens and can grow into interesting shapes.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens and parks
- **Also known as:** English Yew, European Yew, Yew Tree, yew family

![Yew](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424450/objects/4851.jpg)

## Appearance

The Yew has dark green, flattened, needle-like leaves that are glossy and arranged spirally. Its most distinctive feature is the bright red, fleshy, cup-shaped 'aril' that surrounds a single, hard seed, rather than a typical cone. The bark is reddish-brown and scaly.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Pinopsida
- **Order:** Pinales
- **Family:** Taxaceae
- **Genus:** Taxus

## Interesting facts

- Even though its bright red 'berries' look tasty, the seed inside is deadly!
- Scientists extract special ingredients from Yew to make medicines that fight cancer.
- Some Yew trees are older than the Egyptian pyramids, silently watching history unfold!
- Yew wood is super strong and flexible, prized for making powerful longbows!

## Special abilities

- **Ancient Witness:** Yew can live for thousands of years, making it one of the longest-living plants, helping it survive many environmental changes.
- **Poisonous Shield:** Yew has deadly toxins in its leaves and seeds, which protects it from most hungry herbivores and pests.
- **Berry Lure:** Yew has bright red, sweet arils (not true berries) that attract birds, helping it spread its seeds far away.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-2800 cm
- **Spread:** 100-1500 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late winter to early spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Deadly
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — consumes the fleshy aril, helping to disperse its seeds unharmed.
- **Parasitizes:** Yew Gall Midge (*Taxomyia taxi*) — creates distinctive artichoke-like galls on new Yew shoots.
- **Depends on:** Turkey Tail Fungus (*Trametes versicolor*) — decomposes dead Yew wood, returning nutrients to the soil.

## Traits

- [Coniferous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coniferous): Coniferous plants are typically evergreen, bearing needles or scales and reproductive cones.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Grasses](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses)
- [Grasses, Shrubs & Bushes](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses-shrubs-and-bushes)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Explore with care and ask an adult if you’re unsure what to do.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Yew?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Yew?

100-2800 cm

### How wide does Yew spread?

100-1500 cm

### How big are the flowers on Yew?

0.2-0.5 cm

### When does Yew bloom?

Late winter to early spring

### Is Yew edible?

No

### Is Yew toxic?

Deadly

### What is Yew's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Lucy Larcom Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lucy-larcom-park) — Massachusetts, US · Park
- [Japanischer Garten Kaiserslautern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/japanischer-garten-kaiserslautern) — Rheinland-Pfalz, DE · Park
- [Viktoriapark (Berlin)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/viktoriapark-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Park
- [Großer Garten (Hannover)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grosser-garten-hannover) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park
- [Gärten der Welt](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gardens-of-the-world-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Park
- [Hofgarten Würzburg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hofgarten-wurzburg) — Bayern, DE · Park

[View all places to see Yew](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yew)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Yew: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yew)