Cis(Taxus) is a coniferous, undemanding, small tree or shrub known for its longevity. A characteristic feature of the yew tree is its high decorative value. Discover the popularspecies and varieties of yewrecommended for gardens. We advise where to plant them and how to use them in garden plantings. We reveal the secrets ofgrowing, pruning and propagating theyews that grow in our gardens. Here's all about the requirements and care of the yew tree!
Common yew - Taxus baccata
Fig. pixabay.com
Cis - characteristic
Cis(Taxus) is an evergreen, slow-growing tree or shrub of the yew family. This genus includes eight species, three of which are found in Asia, four in the North American continent, and one in Africa and Europe. Yew is very rare in the natural environment.
Yew grows slowly , reaching a maximum of 10 meters in height. The trunk is covered with a thin, scaly, gray-brown bark. The needles are soft and flat, dark green on the top and lighter on the bottom.
Yew is a dioecious plantAfter pollination, it produces small, bright red berries that stay on the branches for a long time. They serve not only as an ornament, but also as food for birds. The advantage of yew is its amazing ability to regenerate and increase the density of shoots after pruning.
Cis - application
Thanks to its slow growth,cis keeps its shape for a long time , so it can be a perfect decoration for rock gardens.It looks spectacular in compositions with any conifers, shrubs with bright decorative foliage. As a solitaire, yew can become an attractive accent in a small garden. The ease of cutting and forming figures makescis an indispensable species for lovers of plant sculpturesso-called topiarów. The yew hedge is the most common architectural element in English gardens.
Cis - poisonous properties
In ancient times yews were believed to be deadlyand even their shade was dangerous. And such a warning is justified because all parts of the tree, except for the fleshy matrix of the fruit, contain poisonous compounds. Yew is deadly not only to humans, but also to many domestic animals. Symptoms of yew poisoning include dry mouth, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, hypotension, and loss of consciousness. Therefore, allcare treatments around yew trees should be performed with gloves
Species and varieties of yew
Among the yew species, only three are popular in garden cultivationThe most interesting varieties with different crown shapes, coloration and growth speed can be found among the following species: yew (Taxus baccata), yew Japanese (Taxus cuspidata) and intermediate yew (Taxus x media).
Japanese yew - Taxus cuspidata
Japanese yew - Taxus cuspidata
Description:occurs in Japan, Korea, East China. Dark green needles, yellow-green underneath, turning brown in periods of frost. It grows slowly, it can reach up to 15 m in height. In the form of a bush, it is spread out, wide, conical or oval in shape. Bears fruit abundantly
Application:Can be used as a cover and is suitable for hedges
Requirements:Fairly fertile and well-drained soil
Frost resistance:Completely frost resistant, plant frost resistance zone 5A
Japanese yew 'Nana'
Description:compact, branchy, slow-growing shrub with dark green needles. Reaches 0.5m in height and 0.6m in width after 10 years
Application:containers, single growing (solitaire), rockeries, moors, borders
Requirements:moderately fertile, well-drained soil, sunny to shady position
Frost resistance:completely frost-resistant, zone 5A
Japanese yew 'Dwarf Bright Gold'
Photo. depositphotos.com
Common yew - Taxus baccata
Common yew - Taxus baccata
Description:domestic species, in nature under complete protection, usually cultivated as a shrub, is an evergreen, long-lived plant with dark green needles up to 3 cm long, grows slowly, up to 15 m in height , is a dioecious plant, decorative red fruits appear on female specimens
Application:perfectly tolerates cutting, making it suitable for formed hedges
Requirements:both sunny and shady position (prefers more shade in youth), fertile soil, requires high air humidity, tolerates urban conditions well
Frost resistance:can freeze during harsh winters, especially in the north-eastern part of Poland, but grows perfectly in Pomerania (zone 6B),
Common yew 'David'
Description:a slowly growing shrub with a narrow columnar habit and golden-green needles. Young needles are light yellow, with a celadon stripe in the middle, older needles are dark green
Application:solitaire, small groups
Requirements:variety with high resistance to frost and strong sunlight
Frost resistance:frost resistance zone 6A
Common yew 'Aurea Decora'
Description:female variety bred in Poland, creates a wide, spreading shrub with long, slightly wavy main shoots, shoots covered with long needles, set obliquely, golden-yellow spring growths in late summer discolor turn green
Application:we recommend it as a light colored background in spring and green in winter for lower varieties
Requirements:Like the species, it tolerates cutting well, thanks to which it is clearly denser, it tolerates Polish climatic conditions well,
Common yew - Taxus baccata <p
Common yew 'Elegantissima'
Description:female variety, originally from England, quite vigorously growing, creates a wide, dense shrub with straight branches inclined upwards, young growths colored straw yellow, during the season in the stands in highly sunlit positions, they become even brighter, and in slightly shaded positions - they turn green
Usage:Perfect as a light colored background for evergreen shorter varieties
Requirements:similar to the species, but the advantage is that it tolerates the winter period quite well
Frost resistance:zone 6A
Irish yew - Taxus baccata fastigiata
Description:female variety, forming seeds, tree with a compact crown and columnar structure, shoots strongly upward, dark green needles, grows relatively quickly (about 10 cm per year), reaches a height of 3 to 5 m
Requirements:Partially shaded, warm, quiet, humid places
Frost resistance:zone 6B, not recommended in the east of Poland due to sensitivity to frost and drying, frosty winter winds.
Common yew 'Fastigiata Aureomarginata'Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Common yew 'Fastigiata Aureomarginata'
Description:male variety, coming from English nurseries, forms columnar shrubs, main shoots erect, densely arranged, directed upwards, needles 2 to 3 cm long, golden edged
Usage:Perfect as a light colored background for evergreen shorter varieties
Requirements:slightly shaded, moist, fertile soils
Frost resistance:zone 6B, in snow-free and cold winters, young specimens should be covered
Common yew 'Summergold'
Description:bushy habit, up to 1m high, slowly growing. Golden yellow needles
Application:as a solitaire and in compositions with blooming perennials
Requirements:high frost resistance, requires fertile and moist soils
Frost resistance:frost resistance zone 6A
Intermediate yew - Taxus media
'Hessian' intermediate cis
Description:Intermediate yews are hybrids of common yew and Japanese yew, the Hessian variety is a female variety, bred in Germany, forms a dense, compact shrub with numerous vertical main shoots, ovate-conical in outline, needles 2-2.5 cm long, straight or slightly bent, light green in the first year
Requirements:both sunny and shady locations, requires fertile and sufficiently moist soil
Frost resistance:zone 5B, much better frost resistance than the common yew
Intermediate yew 'Hicksa'
Description:shrub that grows quickly (10 to 15 cm per year), grows loosely and crookedly at first, then thickens, becomes straight and compact, later shows a tendency to expand again, needles long , wide, dark green, shiny, female variety, bears fruit abundantly
Application:recommended for trimmed, not high hedges, strong pruning intensifies the growth and density of the habit
Requirements:undemanding, resistant to unfavorable climatic conditions, sunny or semi-shaded, humid position
Frost resistance:zone 5B
'Hicks' wedge yew
Fig. depositphotos.com
Intermediate yew 'Hatfieldii'
Description:column shrub with short, dark green needles. Often used for hedges. It grows 2 m wide. Slowly grows in height - after 15 years it reaches only 2 m
Application:variety recommended for lines and trimmed hedges
Requirements:tolerates cutting and Polish climatic conditions well
Frost resistance:high, zone 6A
Intermediate yew 'Viridis'
Description:shrub with a columnar habit, dense, quite vigorously growing. Stems arranged vertically, rather stiff needles in an intense green color
Application:Recommended for small gardens, cemeteries and narrow hedges
Requirements:requires quite fertile and moist soils
Frost resistance:high, frost resistance zone: 6A
Intermediate yew 'Prince'
Description:Polish variety, a dense, fast-growing shrub with a columnar habit. Reaches 2-3 m in height. Young growths are light green with a yellowish reflex. They contrast nicely with the older, dark green needles
Application:Recommended for planting in home gardens and public green areas, individually or in groups, in the form of lines or hedges
Requirements:low temperature resistant and tolerant shrub
Frost resistance:high resistance, frost resistance zone 5b
Intermediate yew 'Stefania'
Description:Polish variety, shrub with a columnar habit and quite strong growth. It grows up to 3-5 m in height. Young needles golden yellow, then cream with a green stripe in the middle
Use:as a solitaire or in small groups, good for hedges
Requirements:resistant to frost, tolerant to the type of substrate. It stains most beautifully in the sunny position
Frost resistance:high, frost resistance zone 5b
Cis - cultivation
Yew is more resistant than many other conifers , however, it prefers warm, sheltered places. Feels best in full sun, but tolerates moderate shade well. Only varieties of yew with a light, golden color, need a lot of sun to maintain an attractive appearance.
Yew requires fertile soil , moist and permeable with a soil pH close to neutral or slightly acidic . It does not tolerate standing water.
Yews sold in potscan be planted at any time during the growing season, while seedlings with open root systems are planted in early fall or mid-spring.
If you plan to use trees or shrubs to create a hedge,yew trees are planted in a row, 50-70 cm apart(depending on the crown width of a given variety) or alternately in two rows.
Common yew - planting on a hedge
Fig. depositphotos.com
Before planting yewa drainage layer should be placed at the bottom of the hole. Seedlings should be well watered and mulched within the root zone with compost or shredded pine bark to maintain optimal soil moisture. Mulching is also an excellent way to inhibit weed growth, help prevent root overheating, and provide nutrients as the mulch breaks down.The root system of the yew is strong and compact , therefore even old specimens can be repotted to a new place if necessary.
Cis - care
Yew maintenance consists ofperiodic fertilization, watering once a week (if it is not raining) and loosening the soil by young trees for the first 2-3 years after planting.
Yew trees prefer moderately moist soiland tolerate short-term drought well. Excessive moisture, on the other hand, is not good for yews. At the beginning, only young plants should be watered, adults usually do not require watering.Yews do not have high nutritional requirements. They respond well to organic fertilization, compost or biohumus. Apply multi-component mineral fertilizers twice during the growing season - in spring and summer.
Cis - trimming
Yew trees respond very well to shaping pruningand even strong pruning, which allows the crown to be shaped to blend in with the overall landscape. The first forming pruning will be necessary only in the third or fourth year after planting. It is important not to trim more than a third of the length of the shoot, but to completely remove damaged or dead branches.Sanitary and yew forming cuttingis best done in the spring before the growing season begins.The second pruning should be repeated at the beginning of July if crown formation is required.It is not recommended to trim the yews at a later date, because the young shoots that appear will not have time to lignify before winter and may freeze.
Cis - reproduction
The easiest way to propagate yews is by shoot cuttings , but you can also try to get new specimens from seeds.Yew tree propagation by cuttings- cuttings are taken from 3-5 year old shoots. It is best to download them in late September and early October. The seedling should be 15-20 cm long. We remove the needles from the bottom of the seedling and dip its end into the rooting agent. Then we place them in boxes filled with a mixture of peat and perlite in a ratio of 1: 1. During rooting, the temperature of the substrate should not exceed 10 ° C. After 3-4 months, the plants are transplanted into individual pots. In autumn, we can plant them permanently.
Yew propagation by seeds- Yew propagation by seeds is quite complicated and time-consuming, and plants do not repeat parental characteristics.Therefore, only a pure species can be reproduced in this way. However, if we choose this method of reproduction, we harvest the fruit in late September and early October. We store the seeds deprived of pulp for 3 months at 20 ° C. Then we stratify the seeds by placing them in a bag with moist moss or vermiculite and storing them for 2 months in a refrigerator at 3-5 ° C.
Prepared in this waysow yew seeds in springin boxes filled with a moist mixture of acidified peat soil and sand, covered with glass or foil, and placed in a slightly shaded place. The optimal air temperature is 20-25 ° С. We should take care of a constantly moist substrate and frequent airing of seedlings. The seedlings should appear about 4 weeks after sowing the seeds.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
