Unlike most conifers, the yew tree does not bear cones, but rather bright red fruits that look a bit like berries. Not every yew develops fruit, and it takes many years for the tree to bear fruit for the first time.
What are yew fruits and are they poisonous?
Yew fruits are bright red, berry-like structures that only appear on female yew trees after about 20 years. The pulp is non-toxic and has a sweet taste, while the seeds contain highly toxic taxine and pose a danger to children.
The pulp is not poisonous
Yew trees are poisonous plants. The highly toxic taxin is contained in all parts of the plant except the pulp. The pulp itself is not poisonous. It should have a sweet taste.
When trying it out, you should be very careful and avoid it to be on the safe side. There are a lot of toxins in the kernels.
Since the fruits look very similar to berries, they are a real temptation for smaller children. Make sure that your children do not eat yew fruits, as the risk of poisoning with serious consequences should not be underestimated.
Male and female flowers
Yew trees have separate sexes. This means that the tree bears either male or female flowers. Only a yew tree with female flowers later gets the characteristic red fruits.
The flowering period of the yew lasts from March to April. The male flowers are produced the previous year. If you want your yew tree to bloom, be careful when cutting so that you do not remove the inflorescences.
While the male yew trees form small yellow-green cones as flowers, the female flowers are very inconspicuous.
The first fruits after 20 years
It takes a long time for a yew tree to produce its first flowers and later fruits. It takes around 20 years for the tree to produce flowers for the first time and later fruit.
Propagate yew from seeds
Offshoots can be grown from the fruits of the yew tree:
- Harvesting fruits
- Remove the seeds from the pulp
- Store in a cool place for a longer period of time (stratify)
- sow (cactus soil or coconut humus)
- moisten occasionally
It takes up to two years for new yew trees to sprout from the seeds. As soon as the first fresh shoots appear, the young plant can be carefully lifted out of the ground and moved to the desired location.
Tip
Yews are very resilient conifers that are also very easy to cut. They are therefore often planted in hedges or kept as topiaries in the garden.