Yew care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Yew (Taxus baccata) wants partial shade and a drink about every 10 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8. It is toxic to pets — worth keeping out of reach.
| scientific name | Taxus baccata |
|---|---|
| family | Taxaceae |
| category | shrub |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | partial shade |
| water cadence days | 10 |
| mature height cm | 1500 |
| min zone | 6 |
| max zone | 8 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | true |
| toxic to humans | true |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Yew?
Tolerates hard pruning; every part except the aril is deadly.
Is Yew toxic?
Taxine alkaloids; lethal to dogs, horses and people.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no. USDA records its toxicity as severe.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is low. Its moisture use is medium. Its drought tolerance is medium. It wants at least about 35 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.4. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.8. Its fertility requirement is medium. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 120 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is medium. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -33°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single crown form. Its growth rate is slow. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is low. At maturity it reaches about 40.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 25 feet. Its roots go down at least 16 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in spring. The flowers are yellow. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is red. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by summer. It fruits low. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: no. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is low. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02