Yew Hedging (Taxus baccata)
English Yew (Taxus baccata) is a medium to large native evergreen tree and the best formal evergreen hedging plant there is. Its leaves are a very dark green
which is why yew hedging is such an effective
backdrop to borders (for those of you who know the RHS gardens
at Wisley it sets off the magnificent main herbaceous borders
there). The leaf colour and size and its slow growth (once the
growing tip is removed) combine to make yew an
ideal plant for topiary as well as formal hedging.
Taxus
is enormously hardy (it survived the last Ice Age) and is hugely
long lived. The oldest yew in Europe, which
is in Scotland, is about 4,000 years old. In ancient times yew,
with its association with the spirit world, was the most revered
of all the trees. The Druids, for example, planted it in groves
wherever they worshipped and yew trees were
often used as markers or to ward of evil spirits. The yews
found in churchyards are probably one of their legacies.
Yew
wood is extremely tough - correctly shaped branches were carved
to make the English longbow. The pull on a well built yew
bow was about 90kgs (a bit like lifting two sacks of cement
one handed). All parts of the yew including
its seeds are poisonous, but chemicals found in yew
leaves are now used in the treatment of cancer.
Yew,
as either a tree or hedging will grow in practically any situation,
from bright sun to full shade. It is a deceptive grower, but
for a successful hedge good preparation is essential. Most soil
types are suitable for yew, including chalky and acidic ones,
provided they are well drained. Unlike almost any other hedging,
yew only needs clipping once a year. A Yew
hedge can grown to a great heights although the height of
established hedging should be not less than 60cms. Yew hedge plants
should be spaced at between
2-3 plants per metre in a single row.
We
also sell yew as container grown hedging plants
for summer planting or for those in a hurry - if you want to
plant when it is warm or you are in a bit of a rush then our
Potted
Yew may be just the thing.
If yew hedging is not for you, then why not
look at our Hedge
Plant Lists for some other hedging ideas ...
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Yew, whether grown as a tree or as hedging suffers from very few ills. The biggest cause of failure (and that does not happen often) is planting in ground that does not drain - yew is susceptible to root rot until it is established.
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