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Yew

Taxus baccata
Also known as: English Yew, European Yew

Yew is a vegetable in the Taxaceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 6-7.

Varieties

1 · sorted by days to maturity
  • Yew

    PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Evergreen conifer propagated by cuttings or seed. Use: Hedge; screen; topiary; specimen. Note: Bark; foliage; stems; and seeds are highly toxic to people and animals.

    English yew is a long-lived evergreen conifer that tolerates pruning and can be grown as a hedge, screen, topiary, shrub, or tree. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and a sheltered site. Bark, foliage, stems, and seeds are highly toxic if eaten.

    Growing notes: Botanical name: Taxus baccata|Hardiness zones: 6-7|Propagation: cutting or seed|Light: Full sun to part shade|Water: Medium|Mature height: 30-60 feet|Mature spread: 15-25 feet

Family
Taxaceae
Category
Vegetable
Form
Tree; Shrub
Lifecycle
perennial
Zone
6-7
Height
30–60 ft
Spread
15–25 ft
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Water
Medium

Plan your yew planting

Add yew to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

Start your free plan →

At a glance

Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~-5°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Storing & preserving

Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.

  • Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
  • Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.

General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Growing timeline

Propagation
Cutting
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for yew yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.