Article
Article
Yew
Article By:
Graves, Arthur H. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut.
Davis, Kenneth P. School of Forestry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.753500
A genus, Taxus, of evergreen trees and shrubs, with a fruit containing a single seed surrounded by a scarlet, fleshy, cuplike envelope (aril). The leaves of the yew tree are flat, acicular (needle-shaped), and green underneath, with stalks extending downward on the stem. The only native American species of commercial importance is the rather uncommon Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia), which is a medium-sized tree of the Pacific Coast and northern Rocky Mountain regions. Its wood is sometimes used for poles, paddles, bows, and small cabinetwork. The Janka hardness for Pacific yew is 1600 lb-force (726 kg-force); its density is 42 lb/ft3 (673 kg/m3). See also: Pinales; Tree
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