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Taxon
Taxus cuspidata
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Common name:
Japanese Yew
Family:
Taxaceae (Yew)
Distribution:
S Russian Far East to N China and Japan
Habitat:
Mixed conifer and conifer-deciduous forests in lowland to lower montane altitudes; 100-1600 meters
Hardiness:
-30 - 10 F
Life form:
Evergreen tree
Foliage characteristics:
Needles can be straight or curved, are dull green on top and pale green beneath with two yellowish bands. Needles have a sharply pointed tip. .5-1" long. All yew leaves are poisonous.
Fruit characteristics:
Fleshy red cones resemble berries (aril), and are about 12mm in diameter. They ripen in August-November.
Bloom Time:
March and April
Poisonous/toxic:
Leaves, seeds, and bark poisonous. One of the most toxic of all poisonous plants. Has been the cause of many livestock, and even some human, deaths.
Bark characteristics:
Redish brown, scaly bark
Dioecious:
Yes
Average height:
10-40'
Structure:
Varies; broad; irregular; pyramidal; upright
Bloom characteristics:
Male flowers are small, spherical, and in axils of leaves. Female is a cone-like structure which is singular, green, and also in the axil of the leaves.
Description:
Japanese yew is a lovely ornamental plant, with its dark green foliage and contrasting red “berries” (actually fleshy cones) - and very poisonous. While legend once considered even the shade of the yew tree dangerous to anyone who slept underneath it, this is a step too far. Suffice to say, that no part of the yew should be consumed. It can best be appreciated visually.
Invasive tendency in Connecticut.
Links:
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
•
The Morton Arboretum
•
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Locations
1:
Smithsonian Castle
(CASTLE)
• Accession: 2015-2178*A • Provenance: From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
Area
Individual