A densely-branched tree to c. 15 m tall but generally only several metres tall in cultivation in Australia. Bark thin, red-brown, scaly. Bud scales rounded. Shoots green, ribbed. Leaves c. 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, spreading around the shoots but more or less 2-ranked on horizontal ones (except in some cultivars), tapering to a point, dark green and shining, margins curved under, 2 pale green bands below; midrib raised on both surfaces; stalk short, yellowish green. Male cones terminal on leaf axils of lower surface of the previous years growth, solitary on stalks and consisting of a cluster of shield-like anthers, Sept.-Oct. Female cones solitary, axillary, green. Seed single, erect on a fleshy scarlet aril 6-7 mm long.
Well known in the Northern Hemisphere as a hedge plant and also widely grown in churchyards and cemeteries. It is not suited to the south-eastern Australia climate and rarely performs well except in some shade or in cool climate gardens; it prefers alkaline soils and grows well, for example, in the Mt Gambier region of South Australia. Foliage and seed are poisonous to stock.
Europe, North Africa to Iran. Naturalised on the South Island of New Zealand.
SA: Penola (Yallum Park). VIC: Creswick (Masonic Lodge); Dandenongs ('Pirianda'); Footscray (Park, near Lake); Geelong (Bot. Gds); Prahran (Victoria Park). TAS: Hobart (Tas. Royal Bot. Gds); Launceston (Princess Square).
Source: (1995). Taxaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 1, Ferns, conifers & their allies. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
Broad, rounded leaf. Origin Netherlands or France.
Golden leaved in spring and summer, slightly slower growing than the typical form. Now generally used as a group name for gold leaved variants. Nsw: Mt Wilson ('Cherry Cottage') vic: Parkville (Melbourne University Botany Department Systems Garden). Tas: Hobart (Mt Stuart Road c. 60 years old in 1992; Royal Tasmanian Bot. Gds).
Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Aurea'
As above but golden leaved, fairly slow growing. Old nineteenth century cultivar.
Vic: Parkville (Melbourne University Botany Department Systems Garden).
Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Aureomarginata'
As 'Fastigiata Aurea' but leaves edged with yellow. Fisher, Son & Sibray, Handsworth Nurs, Sheffield, UK, nineteenth century.
Irish Yew Branches ascending and packed close to stem to give narrow columnar form. Found in 1780, Ireland, the original tree at Florence Court, County Fermanagh c. 12 m tall in 1980; a female clone.
Nelson (1981).
SA: Mt Gambier (Vansittart Park, 2 outstanding trees); Penola (Memorial Park; Yallum Park). Nsw: Mt Tomah (Bot. Gds). Vic: Mt Macedon ('Forest Glades', 'Hascombe'); Terang (cemetery, 3 trees, largest c. 8 m tall in 1992). Act: Yarralumla (Nsy). tas: Hagley (St Mary's Church, large tree); Hobart (Tasmanian Royal Bot. Gds).
Slow growing open bush with irregular branching system. [Origin unknown.]
A seedling of 'Fastigiata' with neater habit and smaller leaves. [Raised in Overeynder Nsy, Boskoop, Holland.]
Low, trailing with leaves spreading almost round stem. [Origin probably uk]
Slow growing, columnar, branches erect (fastigiate), leaves golden yellow. A female clone. Narrower, slower growing and more golden than 'Fastigiata Aurea'. Old cultivar probably originating from UK.
Developing an oval habit; foliage dark green, dense. Grows about 2 m in 10 years. Selection from Woolrich Oval, Olinda, Victoria, Australia.