The Yew Family
What are they?
Yews are very popular evergreen trees and shrubs and used widely as garden ornamentals. Despite this popularity, they rarely seem to set seed in our area and are only occasionally seen as relics of cultivation. Yews differ from other conifers in having the green seed carried within a red fleshy fruit. These fruits are popular with many species of birds.
Where are they found?
Species of yew are found throughout the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere but there are none native to the coastal plain in our area.
Identification
The identification of yews can be quite difficult as all species are remarkably similar and the problem is compounded by there being a large number of cultivated ornamentals. Subtle differences in the leaf tip shape and the pattern of pale lines on the underside of the leaves are helpful in identification.
Japanese Yew Taxus cuspidata
Introduced from eastern Asia. A popular plant that may occasionally be found as a relic of cultivation or a surviving garden plant throughout. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of this species of yew is the needles, which tend to be raised up above the plane of the stem.
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European Yew Taxus baccata
Introduced from Europe. Grown as a garden plant and may occasionally be found as a relic of cultivation or a surviving garden throughout. Unlike Japanese Yew, the needles tend to lie in a flat plane, in line with the stem.
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