Taxus baccata is the English yew most widely planted in parks and gardens, both as a specimen and as a hedge constituent.

The Yew is an extremely important tree or hedge plant as one of the only three native conifers. An extremely long-lived tree, in medieval times English longbows were constructed from its strong and durable timber. Taxus baccata is the English yew most widely planted in parks and gardens, both as a specimen and as a hedge constituent. It is often seen as the Rolls Royce of hedges, and its reputation as a slower grower does not deter people from using it.

We supply most of our yew hedging to customers in rootballed form between the months of November and March, as this is the most successful method of transplantation. Although we do hold containerised stock during the summer months, Yew are notoriously susceptible to water logging, so great care must be taken with irrigation.

Yew or its upright Irish yew species, Taxus baccata ‘fastigiata’ can often be found in church yards and burial grounds as in the past it has been connected with death and resurrection. However, today is it most valued for its clipping, which are collected and used in the manufacture of anti-cancer drugs. We ranked yew as one of our top 10 evergreen hedges.

Further reading:

How to create an instant hedge

A quick introduction to hornbeam