☠️ Yew
Taxus spp.
The shade-loving evergreen that's gorgeous, ancient — and poisonous enough to kill a horse.
Sun
Part shade to full shade (tolerates sun in cool climates)
Days to harvest
N/A — ornamental; slow growing
Spacing
3–6 feet apart for hedges
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
How to grow
Plant in fall or spring in well-drained soil — yew's one non-negotiable is drainage; wet feet rot it fast. It handles deep shade where nothing else will, but Florida heat is rough on it, so consider it north-Florida-only. Plant where kids and pets won't nibble — every part except the red aril is toxic.
Water & feeding
Water to establish; mature yews are drought-tolerant but hate standing water.
Common problems
- Root rot in poorly drained soil — the number-one killer
- Deer browse it despite the toxicity (deer are fearless idiots)
- Taxine poisoning risk — every part except the fleshy red aril is toxic to people, pets, and livestock
Harvest
The classic hedge plant — shear in early summer. Yew resprouts from old wood, unlike most conifers, so you can renovate overgrown plants hard. Wear gloves; the clippings are toxic too.
Nerdy fact: The cancer drug paclitaxel (Taxol) was discovered in the bark of the Pacific yew — a tree once burned as trash by loggers turned out to hold one of modern medicine's most important compounds.