Yew – planting and care

Scientific name (Latin): Taxus baccata 

Family: Yew family (Taxaceae)

If you buy yew and plant it as a hedge or ornamental shrub, it is an investment for the future. It is a safe choice because it thrives in many different conditions and can withstand most of what nature and we humans can subject it to.

In other words, it is a very grateful plant that not only grows dense and beautiful and can be shaped as desired. It is also a historically important tree with very long traditions in this country.

Despite the fact that many people appreciate the beautiful appearance of the yew, it is not very widespread. This is largely because the yew thrives best in the southern parts of our country. There it grows wild to a certain extent, but is also popular planted, as a grateful plant in hedges or as a solitary. It tolerates hard pruning and can thus be cut into different shapes and patterns. The yew then gets new shoots and becomes even thicker and denser. 

The yew has been found in Norway for a very long time, which we see evidence of in the wild, where wild-growing varieties can grow up to 15 meters tall. The shrub variety normally grows 2–3 meters tall, but the tree variety, which is found in smaller populations in southern and western Norway, can be traced back to the Bronze Age. 

Yew wood is very tough and robust and thus also a popular material among carpenters. Historically, many tools and weapons were made from yew.

Yew can tolerate heavy pruning, but it is best to prune regularly to get a dense, fine growth from the start. The best time to prune Yew is in the spring before growth begins or in the JAS months, July, August and September.

Yew can become very old and grows slowly. This means that once you have successfully established a yew hedge, you can enjoy the sight of it for many years and see it grow a little bigger and fuller with each passing year. 

Yew is a coniferous plant and stays green all year round. The needles are soft and dark green. The tree has a relatively anonymous appearance, but since it tolerates cutting and pruning well, it can be shaped into many different patterns and shapes that make it in the garden. It is used, among other things, in large garden labyrinths. 

The growth habit is the same as that of junipers: either upright as small trees or creeping along the ground. Yew can also be used in the same way as junipers. 

The needles have a beautiful, dark green color in summer and autumn, which can darken further in winter. In spring, new, light green shoots appear that mature during the summer, when the small, discreet flowers also sprout. In September and October, the berries ripen, but there are also yew varieties without berries.

Some believe that the mythical Yggdrasil tree was actually a yew since it is described as evergreen and popular with deer, which is consistent with the characteristics of the yew. In any case, the yew is a tree with a long history and which also has some very nice properties that we can enjoy in the garden.

Yew is a coniferous plant that is well suited as a hedge. It tolerates hard and extensive pruning while also thriving in most conditions and soils. Air pollution and road salt do not affect it to any significant extent.

The entire plant, from roots and berries to seeds and branches, is highly poisonous. The only thing that is not poisonous is the pulp around the seeds, but for anyone with children and animals it is important to be careful and aware that it can be tempting to taste, not least the berries.

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