The yew was hero-worship by ancient people , who viewed its ability to stay unripened throughout the winter as magical . The Natalie Wood of the yew is resilient , and has a long history of use as a stuff for bow . Yew wood is also hump for its durability . It has sometimes been call " Fe wood , " because fencing poles made from yew have survive alloy ones .

Types

Eight dissimilar species of yew exist , ranging in height from 1 to 50 feet improbable , uncommitted in both spreading and upright forms . The first species to be scientifically identified was the European yew ( Taxus baccata ) . All the yew are tight related , and some plant scientist trust that all species are actually subspecies of the European yew . Three coinage – the Florida yew , Mexican yew and Pacific yew – are now rare , and list as either peril or endangered trees .

Description

Despite the fact that its mat , acerate leaf - shaped leaves remain a deep green year - round , the yew is not a conifer . The crimson arils , or berry , produced by the yew are relished by cedar waxwing , thrushes and other birds . Although the fruit is sweet and harmless to birds , the seed inside is highly vicious to human and to farm animal , note Botanical.com .

All parts of the yew , including leave-taking and bark , should be kept out of reach of favorite and curious children , and should be kept fence in off from horses , cattle and other grazing brute .

Landscape Uses

Yews are rugged and shadiness - kind , making them utile landscaping subjects . Their year - cycle color and sturdiness make the yew an first-class foundation bush . When used as hedge specimens , they will make a heavy gullible wall . They respond well to trimming , and are a traditional choice for topiary .

Ancient Yews

Yews are slow - raise and long - go , and are often associated with cemeteries where the tree originate undisturbed . There are many European yew , in Great Britain in finicky , whose age has been analyzed to be many hundreds of year honest-to-god . The Ancient Yew Group of England is dedicate to surveying and cut across the health of veteran ( over 500 class of age ) and ancient ( 1,000 years old and up ) yews across Great Britain . The oldest yew on book is the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire , Scotland , which is count on to be around 5,000 years former .

Use in Medicine

In 1967 , scientists reveal that taxol , a compound found in the yew ’s reddish barque , could be used to create a hefty cancer - fight down drug . This pass to over - harvesting of the Pacific yew , and the tree diagram became endangered , according to the United States Department of Agriculture . Fortunately , new methods of extraction are now available which employ cultivated specie of yew , sparing those in honest-to-god - growth forests .

References

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