The yew is a popular garden plant that is primarily used for hedges and as a topiary. What is less known, however, is that different types and varieties allow for numerous uses. We introduce you to the most beautiful yew varieties for the garden.
Which yew varieties are suitable for the garden?
Popular yew varieties for the garden are Taxus baccata (European yew), Taxus media 'Hicksii' and 'Hillii' (for hedges), 'Fastigiata' variants (columnar), 'Repandens' (ground cover) and 'David ' and 'Renkes Kleiner Grüner' (dwarf varieties).
What types of yew trees are there?
There are around ten different species of yew worldwide, of which only the European yew (Taxus baccata) is native to Europe. This in turn can be cultivated in its wild form, but also as a cultivated variety with specially bred characteristics. In the wild, however, Taxus baccata is threatened with extinction.
The second type of yew commonly planted in the garden is the hybrid form Taxus media, which emerged around 1900 from Taxus baccata and Taxus cuspidata, the Japanese yew. It is also known as the cup yew and is characterized by a broad, columnar growth.
Which yew tree is best suited as a hedge?
For hedges you can mainly use the two varieties of Taxus media:
- 'Hicksii': narrow, upright growth; up to 500 centimeters high and 400 centimeters wide, female variety
- 'Hillii': slender, conical growth, up to 500 centimeters high and 300 centimeters wide, male variety without berries
But the wild form of the European yew and some of its varieties are also very suitable for hedges:
Taxus baccata: bushy, upright and well-branched growth, can grow up to 10 meters high and 8 meters wide
What all yew trees have in common is that they grow in both sun and shade and are very tolerant of pruning.
Which variety of yew grows columnar?
In addition to the rather wide-growing varieties of yew, there are also some columnar-growing varieties that can be planted very well as solitary plants or in groups. Without exception, these are varieties of Taxus baccata:
- ‘Fastigiata’: columnar, very dense growth; up to 7 meters high and 2 meters wide; with dark green needles
- 'Fastigiata Robusta': strongly upright, narrow, densely branched; up to 5 meters high and 1.5 meters wide; deep dark green needles, more winter hardy than 'Fastigiata'
- 'Fastigiata Aureomarginata': narrow columnar, up to 5 meters high and 2.5 meters wide; light green to golden yellow needles
Is there a low, ground-covering yew variety?
The 'Repandens' variety, also known as cushion yew or table yew, is ideal as a ground cover. This is also a variety of Taxus baccata.
‘Repandens’ scores with these properties:
- flat, spreading growth
- Growth height up to 60 centimeters
- Growth width up to 180 centimeters
- shiny, dark green needles
- evergreen
- robust and very shade tolerant
- resistant to root pressure
Like all yew varieties, 'Repandens' tolerates pruning well, but must be protected against late frosts in spring. You should only plan for one plant per square meter of area.
Which yew trees grow dwarfed and stay low?
If you don't want the yew tree to grow too tall and wide in the garden - for example because you want to put it in the front garden or the garden is very small - then these varieties are recommended:
- ‘David’: maximum 150 centimeters high and 100 centimeters wide; narrow, columnar growth; golden yellow needles
- 'Renke's Little Green': maximum 80 centimeters high and 70 centimeters wide; broad bushy growth, dark green needles, good alternative to boxwood
These varieties are also varieties of Taxus baccata.
Tip
Yellow needles on yew tree
Some varieties of yew have beautiful, golden-yellow needles and are therefore an attractive eye-catcher in the garden. However, if the needles of actually dark green varieties suddenly turn yellow, this often indicates that the soil is too dry.
