The Yew is a highly poisonous evergreen tree or shrub with a thick trunk and rounded crown. It can reach a height of approx 25m once fully mature. The Yew is an amazingly long-lived tree and can live as long as 4000 years!
Bark is a reddish colour with a flaking, peeling texture.
Flattened, sharp pointed needles are spirally arranged on the twig, spreading out to form two lateral rows. They are a dark green colour above with a yellowish underside and measure approx 10-30mm in length.
Flowers appear February - April with male and female flowers appearing on separate trees. Male flowers are yellow and female flowers greenish in colour.
Yew Trees produce a matt red fleshy berry type fruit called an aril, which measures approx 10mm long. Each cup like aril contains a single seed around 6-7mm in length. Fruit ripens around October.
The Yew Tree is very tolerant of shade and is common in dense oak woods or scrub. It grows particularly well on limestone or in chalky soil.