Yew

Family. Taxaceae.

Origin. Asia, North America.

Description. Yew is a low, evergreen, coniferous tree. Most species are dioecious - individual trees can be male or female. The leaves are flat needles 1 - 2 cm long, dark green or bluish in color, arranged spirally. The flowers are white, yellow or pink, small, densely covering the shoots. The berries are round, red, and appear only on female plants. 

Height. Yew grows very slowly and in potted culture its height reaches 1.5 m.

Planting and care

Temperature conditions

Like most coniferous plants, yew requires rather cool maintenance; it does not like heat. The optimal temperature range is 15 - 18° C during the growing season, combined with an even cooler dormant period at a temperature of about 5° C.

Lighting

A well-lit place without direct sunlight. You can grow yew in partial shade.

Care

The tree is easy to grow by amateurs and does not require special care. Place indoors away from heating devices. The main difficulty when growing indoors is maintaining a cool temperature and high humidity. Plants require regular pruning in the spring to maintain a compact shape. Yew easily tolerates the most severe pruning, with the help of which the plants can be given any desired shape.

Substrate

Adapts well to a wide variety of soil conditions. Prefers nutritious soil with a slightly acidic pH.

Feeding

In spring and summer, feed yew with liquid fertilizers monthly. In autumn and winter, fertilizing is not carried out.

Purpose

This species looks great when grown in bonsai style.

Flowering time

From March to May.

Air humidity

Plants require high humidity combined with good air movement. Place the yew pot on a tray with damp pebbles or use a room humidifier. 

Soil moisture

Young specimens require regular watering, while adults tolerate short-term drought. In spring and summer, the soil under the yew should be evenly moistened. In autumn, watering is gradually reduced, and in the winter months, when the plant is kept cool, the substrate is simply protected from drying out completely.

Transfer

As it grows, transplant the yew into larger pots. When replanting, trim off damaged roots. For larger plants, replace the topsoil with fresh mixture. 

Reproduction

Vegetatively using stem cuttings about 20 cm long. The lower leaves are removed from the cuttings and rooted in moist, nutritious and loose soil at an air temperature of about 20 ° C. Seeds can be sown in the spring, but this is a long process that does not always end in success. Seeds require preliminary cold stratification for several months. 

Pests and diseases

Root rot due to stagnation of water in the soil. Harmful insects may include scale insects and false scale insects, leaf rollers, cutworms, snails and slugs, sciarids, gall midges, and weevils.

Note

All parts of the yew are poisonous - wash your hands thoroughly after handling the plant and keep it away from children.