Yew hedging (Taxus baccata)
English Yew Hedge Plants (Taxus baccata)
Yew (Taxus baccata) hedging is simply the best
formal evergreen hedge there is. It is a medium to large sized
truly native evergreen tree with leaves that are are a very dark
green. These make a yew hedge planting such an
effective backdrop (for those of you who know the RHS gardens
at Wisley two huge yew hedges set off the magnificent
main herbaceous borders there). The leaf colour and size and ultimately
its slow growth (once the growing tip is removed) combine to make
yew an ideal plant for topiary as well as for
formal hedging, since it clips beautifully. The flowers are cream
to yellow and are followed by red berries.
Taxus
is enormously hardy (obviously, since it survived the last Ice
Age) and 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 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 three sacks of cement
one handed). All parts of the yew including
its seeds are poisonous.
Yew,
as either a tree or hedging will grow in practically any situation,
from bright sun to full shade. It is a deceptively fast 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.
Although Taxus hedges can grow to great heights,
established yew hedging can also be kept at as low as 60 cms.
We
also grow yew as 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 Hedging 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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Plant bare root yew at between 2 and 3 plants per metre in a single row, in a well prepared trench where the main requirement is good drainage.Clip the side branches whenever you want, but leave the yew growing tips until they have reached the height you want....
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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