The yew is not wrongly considered a dangerous garden tree. It contains the toxin taxine, which can even be fatal if ingested. However, simply cutting the yew is not dangerous if you take a few protective measures.
Is cutting a yew tree dangerous?
Cutting a yew tree is not dangerous as long as no parts of the plant are consumed. When cutting, wear gloves, long-sleeved clothing, and protect your face from needles. Dispose of cuttings safely to avoid poisoning risks to animals.
Can you prune a yew tree safely?
There is only a risk of poisoning from yew if you consume parts of the yew plant. The poison is found in the stem, needles and seeds of the fruit. The pulp itself is edible and is very popular with birds.
Cutting the yew tree is therefore not dangerous. However, you should still take a few precautions when rejuvenating or shaping the yew tree.
The plant sap can cause inflammation
When the yew tree is cut, the plant sap comes out. If it gets on bare skin, it can cause serious inflammation. There are also gardeners who talk about skin irritations on their faces because they got needles on their sensitive facial skin when cutting the yew tree.
These injuries are not life-threatening, but of course very unpleasant. They can be avoided by taking appropriate precautions.
Precautions when cutting a yew tree
- Wear gloves!
- Protect face from needles
- wear long-sleeved clothing
- Do not leave cuttings unattended
Don't leave clippings lying around the garden, especially if you have pets that might gnaw on the branches. There is also a strong risk of poisoning for animals if they consume parts of the yew tree.
Where do I put the yew trimmings?
Even though the yew tree is so poisonous, you can put it in the compost without worry. The poison is broken down by the bacteria. If the yew tree has rotted, the poison has also disappeared. So you can use the compost for vegetable beds without worry.
Only add he althy cuttings to the compost. Shred the yew residues before composting them. Otherwise the decomposition process takes a very long time. Mix the yew with other compost components to create a higher quality humus.
Cover the yew residues on the compost well so that no animals can mess with them.
The best time to prune the yew tree
Yew trees can be cut all year round without even severe pruning becoming dangerous. It survives cutting without any problems and even becomes denser when pruned more frequently.
You should only avoid a cut in the hot summer. The needles at the interfaces turn brown when exposed to strong sunlight. This is harmless to the yew tree, but it doesn't look so nice.
Tip
Yew trees tolerate pruning very well. They can be cut into any shape you want without endangering the tree. That's why the yew is one of the most popular topiary trees in the garden and in containers.