Yews (Taxus baccata and Taxus media) are popular hedge plants in the garden, but are also highly poisonous. Parents with children are particularly interested in a yew variety without bright red berries. Are there fruitless yew trees and if so, what should you take into account when caring for them?
Is there a yew tree without berries?
The male cultivar 'Hillii' is considered a yew tree without berries and is ideal for families with children. The evergreen, hardy variety has shiny, dark green needles and reaches a height of up to 500 centimeters and a width of up to 300 centimeters.
Which yew tree has no berries?
The male cultivar 'Hillii' is currently the only yew variety that does not bear any poisonous red fruits that could tempt curious children to snack on them. Like all yews, 'Hillii' is evergreen and has attractive, shiny, dark green needles. The variety belongs to the hydride or cup yew Taxus media, which is considered robust and extremely hardy.
'Hillii' feels particularly comfortable in a sunny to shady location with nutrient-rich and rather moist soil. Like all yews, this variety grows very slowly and gains an average of 40 to 60 centimeters in height in the first five years. When fully grown, 'Hillii' can grow up to 500 centimeters high and 300 centimeters wide.
How to use the non-fruiting yew tree?
The non-fruiting 'Hillii' can be used in many different ways:
- as a border, e.g. B. from beds or lawns
- as a companion
- as a privacy hedge
- as a low hedge
- for pure yew hedges
- for mixed hedges
- as a solitaire, e.g. B. for a topiary
- as a container plant
'Hillii' naturally has an upright, conical growth and is often multi-shoot. In addition, the hedge plant grows very densely, with many branches and therefore forms a good privacy screen over time.
If you use 'Hillii' as a container plant, place it in a planter that is as deep as it is wide and has a volume of at least 30 liters.
What do I have to pay attention to when caring for non-fruiting yew trees?
The male counterpart of the fruiting Taxus media 'Hicksii' is planted and cared for in exactly the same way as all other yew varieties. Make sure that the newly planted yew trees are always supplied with sufficient water and nutrients in the first two years, so you can accelerate growth a little.
However, this should not cause waterlogging, as this in turn leads to root rot and thus the loss of the plant. Loose, permeable soil and good drainage are therefore essential. What's also typical for yew hedges is that you don't have to cut the slow-growing plants every year.
How poisonous are yew fruits?
All parts of the yew plant are potentially fatally poisonous. They contain the heart-active taxine, which can cause severe poisoning even in small doses. The needles and seeds are particularly poisonous, although the surrounding pulp is the only part of the plant that is non-toxic.
This also explains why birds like to eat yew fruits so much - they swallow the berries whole and later excrete the highly toxic seeds undamaged. The pulp is harmless to humans, but as soon as the seed inside is injured, the dangerous poison comes out. Therefore the berries should not be eaten.
Tip
Don’t cut young yew trees too early
No matter what type of yew tree it is: young, freshly planted yew trees should not be cut for the first two to three years. This means the plants put more energy into root growth, which in turn benefits their robustness and he alth. The best time for pruning is late summer or early autumn.
