The yew (Taxus) is a common evergreen conifer frequently used in temperate zone landscaping as a shrub or small tree. It is recognizable year-round due to its dense, dark foliage, making it a popular choice for hedges and ornamental shaping. Understanding the visual features of the yew’s needles, reproductive parts, and overall structure helps in accurate identification.
Needles and Foliage
The primary identifying characteristic of the yew is its needle-like foliage, which is distinctively soft to the touch, unlike the prickly needles of many other conifers. These linear, flat leaves measure approximately 1 to 4 centimeters in length and are arranged spirally around the stem.
Although the needles are attached spirally, their bases twist so the leaves appear to lie in two flat rows along the sides of the stem. This creates a notable feather-like or two-ranked appearance on the twigs. The upper surface of the needles presents a deep, glossy dark green color.
The underside of the needles is typically a paler, yellowish-green, often featuring two distinct bands of stomata (tiny pores used for gas exchange). This color difference contributes to the overall rich, dark appearance of the yew’s canopy.
In some cultivated varieties, the foliage may exhibit variegation or a lighter yellow-green hue. However, the characteristic flat shape and soft texture remain consistent across the genus. This dense, persistent foliage provides year-round visual weight.
Distinctive Reproductive Structures
Yews are unique among conifers because they do not produce the woody, scaled cones typically associated with the group. Instead, the female plants produce a modified seed structure known as an aril.
The aril is a fleshy, cup-shaped structure that matures into a striking, bright red or scarlet color in the autumn. This vibrant casing partially surrounds a single, hard, olive-brown seed, which is visible at the open end of the cup.
The visual contrast between the ruby-red arils and the deep green foliage is one of the plant’s most recognizable features during the fall and winter. The aril itself is the only non-toxic part of the yew.
The seed contained within the fleshy aril is highly toxic, as are the plant’s leaves and bark, due to taxine alkaloids. Birds consume the aril and disperse the seed intact, which passes through their digestive system without harm. However, ingestion of the seed by humans or livestock is dangerous.
Growth Habits and Bark
The overall appearance of a yew is characterized by its dense, compact growth habit, which allows it to be easily shaped. Because of its tolerance for severe pruning, yews are frequently encountered as formally clipped hedges, screens, or topiary forms.
If left unpruned, yews vary significantly in size, ranging from low, spreading shrubs under two meters tall to trees reaching 10 to 20 meters. The plant is known for its slow growth rate, which contributes to its dense structure and longevity.
The bark of the yew is thin and typically has a reddish-brown or purplish-brown hue. As the plant matures, the bark texture becomes scaly, often peeling off in small, thin flakes or strips aligned with the trunk.
The combination of the deep-colored, peeling bark and the year-round dark green foliage provides a distinct textural contrast, particularly noticeable in older specimens or during the winter. This structural consistency and adaptability to shaping make the yew a long-standing fixture in ornamental horticulture.