Unlike most conifers, the yew does not bear cones, but rather bright red fruits that look a bit like berries. Not every yew tree develops fruit, and many years pass before the tree bears fruit for the first time.

The fruits are not poisonous, but the seeds are

The pulp is not poisonous!

Yews are poisonous plants. All parts of the plant except the pulp contain the highly toxic taxine. The pulp itself is not poisonous. It should have a sweet taste.

When trying it out, however, you should be very careful and, to be on the safe side, avoid it. The seeds contain a particularly large number of toxins.

Since the fruits look very similar to berries, they are a real temptation for smaller children. Make sure that your children do not eat any yew fruit, as the risk of poisoning with serious consequences should not be underestimated.

Male and female flowers

Yews are separate sexes. This means that the tree bears either male or female flowers. Only a yew with female flowers later gets the characteristic red fruits.

The flowering period of the yew lasts from March to April. The male flowers are already created in the previous year. If you want your yew to flower, be careful when cutting so that you don't remove the inflorescences.

While the male yews form small yellow-green cones as flowers, the female flowers are very inconspicuous.

The first fruits after 20 years

It takes a long time for a yew tree to produce its first blossoms and later fruit. It takes around 20 years for the tree to blossom and later produce fruit.

Propagating yew from seed

Offshoots can be grown from the fruits of the yew tree:

  • harvest fruits
  • Remove the seeds from the pulp
  • store in a cool place for a long time (stratify)
  • sow (cactus soil or cocohum)
  • moisten occasionally

It takes up to two years for new yew trees to sprout from the seeds. As soon as the first fresh shoots appear, the young plant can be carefully lifted out of the ground and moved to the desired location.

tips

Yews are very hardy conifers that are also very easy to cut. They are therefore often planted in hedges or kept as a topiary in the garden.

Category:

Trees