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Yew trees are mostly found in the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with a few in tropical mountainous areas like the Philippines and Mexico. They are native to Europe and Eurasia and are known to enrich the symbolic value of their capacity for great age. With Australia's warmer climate, exotic trees like yews grow faster than in Britain or Europe, but they have to withstand extreme weather conditions. Yews are also known for their medicinal properties, with Taxol, a drug used in chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, being derived from their bark.
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What You'll Learn
Yews are native to Europe and Eurasia
The yew tree, or Taxus baccata, is native to Europe and parts of Eurasia. It is a species of evergreen tree in the family Taxaceae, and is commonly found growing in southern England, where it often forms the understorey in beech woodland. Yews are also found in Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, and parts of Southwest Asia. The tree is extremely shade-tolerant and has the widest temperature range for photosynthesis among European trees, allowing it to photosynthesize in winter after deciduous trees have shed their leaves.
Yews are long-lived trees, with some of the oldest yews in Europe estimated to be around 2,000 to 5,000 years old. The Fortingall Yew in Perthshire, Scotland, is believed to be around 5,000 years old and has one of the largest recorded trunk girths in Britain. The Llangernyw Yew in Wales is also estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. These ancient yew trees hold cultural and symbolic significance, with Druids and Christians regarding the yew as an emblem of everlasting life.
The yew tree has a rich history and has been associated with various beliefs and practices. It has been linked to immortality, doom, and death, and was often planted in churchyards and cemeteries as a symbol of protection and purification. In Ireland, yew was known as "the coffin of the vine" due to the use of yew staves in wine barrel-making. Yew timber is known for its strength and durability, and it was traditionally used for turnery, longbows, and tool handles. One of the world's oldest surviving wooden artefacts is a yew spearhead estimated to be around 450,000 years old.
In addition to its symbolic and cultural importance, the yew tree has practical applications as well. The bark of the yew tree is used in the synthesis of Taxol, a drug used in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The tree is also grown as an ornamental shrub or tree, providing food and shelter for woodland animals. However, it is important to note that yew trees are highly poisonous to humans and livestock, with toxins that can be absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, and transpiration through the skin.
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Yews are long-lived and slow-growing
Yews are highly adaptable for landscaping and are often used in hedges, topiaries, and foundation plants. They are also valued for their craft and décor uses, such as winter wreaths and Christmas decorations. The trees are known for their longevity, with some European English yew trees living up to 1,500 to 3,000 years. The ability of yews to regenerate contributes to their long lives and symbolic association with immortality, death, and rebirth in various cultures.
Yews are toxic to people and pets, but their bark contains paclitaxel, a chemical being tested for curing cancers, including ovarian and gastric cancers. The edible outer red covering of the female plant's fruit is also used in cancer treatment. The wood of mature yews is further valued for furniture making and for crafting longbows due to its toughness and elasticity.
Yew trees are generally low-maintenance and provide dense foliage. However, they require protection from pests such as Cecidophyopsis psilaspis, which can infest and distort the growth of yew foliage and buds. Proper pruning and pest management techniques are essential for maintaining the health and longevity of yew trees.
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Yews are used in cancer treatment
The yew tree, mostly found in the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, has been used in cancer treatment. The yew genus is distributed across Europe and Eurasia. The yew plant, Taxus cuspidata and Taxus baccata, are sometimes used in cancer treatment. The Taxus baccata species is also known as English yew and contains poisonous alkaloids that prevent cell division in humans and animals.
Research conducted in the 1990s revealed that a compound extracted from yew needles can be lethal to leukaemia cells and cancerous tumours in humans, preventing them from growing and dividing. This compound, called 10-Deacetylbaccatin III, is found in the highest concentration in the new growth needles of yews that are clipped each year. Annual trimming stimulates the production of this compound in greater quantities than can be found in old growth trees.
The compound is used to develop two chemotherapy drugs, docetaxel and paclitaxel, which are used in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer. Paclitaxel, also known as Taxol, was originally derived from the bark of the yew tree. Taxol is considered the most important anti-cancer drug in years by the National Cancer Institute. It has shown promise in treating lung, colon, and other cancers resistant to standard treatments.
The slow growth rate of yew trees, however, poses a challenge to meeting the demand for ovarian cancer treatment. The average tree yields two-thirds of a gram of taxol, which equals two dosages for an ovarian cancer patient. To meet the demand for ovarian cancer treatment alone, 36,000 60-year-old trees would need to be harvested annually. Despite this challenge, yew clippings are collected from various locations and dried to preserve and stabilise the leaves for cancer treatment.
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Yews are drought and frost resistant
Yews are a species of evergreen shrub or tree that are native to Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are drought-tolerant and can withstand brief periods of drought once established, which is usually about 1-2 years from planting. During drought conditions, it is recommended to water the plant weekly.
Yews are also resistant to frost and can survive in USDA zones 2 to 10. They are winter hardy, but extreme temperature fluctuations can cause winter injury. To prevent this, it is recommended to soak the top 2 feet of soil before it freezes in fall, allowing the plant to store moisture for the winter months.
The Japanese yew, for example, is a long-lived evergreen native to several regions in Asia that is popular as a hedge or privacy screen. It has spiny, dark green 1-inch needles with yellow undersides and scaly, red-brown bark. It is drought-tolerant once established and can withstand temperatures as low as -30 F.
Yews are slow-growing trees that are useful as specimen plants and ideal for hedging and topiaries. They have a conical shape when young, developing a domed crown as they mature. Their small to medium size and evergreen nature make them a popular choice for ornamental trees, especially during the Christmas holiday.
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Yews are used in English longbows
The yew tree is a genus of seven species of evergreen conifers, mostly from the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are long-lived, slow-growing trees that are useful as specimen plants and ideal for hedging and topiary. The English longbow, a crucial weapon in the Middle Ages, was often made from yew.
Yew trees are not native to Australia, but they have a rich history in Europe, where they have been used for centuries to craft deadly longbows. The longbow is a type of tall bow that allows for a long draw, and yew is an ideal wood for its construction due to its high compressive strength, lightweight, and elasticity. In Europe, yew was the wood of choice for longbows, and its use dates back thousands of years.
The English longbow made from yew played a significant role in the victories of the English and Welsh over the French in the Hundred Years' War, with notable successes at the battles of Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt. At Agincourt, 7,000 archers using yew longbows launched an average of 80,000 arrows per minute against the French forces, demonstrating the deadly effectiveness of these bows. The English longbow was so feared that it became a crucial component of the English war machine, leading to the extermination of millions of yew trees in Britain, Ireland, and Europe to meet the demands for bows.
The use of yew in longbows was not limited to England, however. Robert the Bruce harvested ancient yew trees to equip his archers in the Scottish victory at Bannockburn. William Wallace, known for his archery skills, also planted a yew tree at Elcho Castle in Perthshire. The longbow was also used by Vikings in marine combat tactics in the 9th century, and an arrow from a Norman longbow is said to have killed the English king Harold in 1066.
The yew tree holds symbolic value due to its capacity for great age, and it has been associated with notions of everlasting life by Druids and Christians alike. Beyond their use in longbows, yew trees also have medicinal value, as Taxol, a drug used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, is derived from yew bark.
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Frequently asked questions
No, yew trees are mostly found in the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with a few in tropical mountainous areas like the Philippines and Mexico.
Yew trees are distributed across Europe and Eurasia.
Yew trees are small to medium-sized trees that are conical in shape when young and develop a domed crown as they mature. They have short, pointed, narrow, dark green to deep olive green leaves.
Yes, yew trees are useful specimen plants and are ideal for hedging and topiary. They also have medicinal properties and are used in chemotherapy to treat cancer.
No, yew trees are not native to Australia. Australian trees are typically adapted to the country's warmer climate and unique environment.
