Yew Tree
đ˛ Habitat: Churchyards, ancient woodland, chalk downs, hedgerows
đ Found in Britain: Common, especially in southern England
đ Height: Can grow up to 20m tall and live for thousands of years
đ Season: Evergreen all year round, with red berries appearing in autumn
đŚ Wildlife Connections: Provides shelter for birds, and the berries are eaten by thrushes and waxwings
đ Look out for: Dark green flat needles, twisting bark, and bright scarlet berry cups
â ď¸ Warning: Almost every part of the tree is poisonous if eaten
⨠Fun Fact: Some yew trees in Britain are thought to be over 2,000 years old â older than many castles and churches nearby!
The ancient guardians of graveyards
Standing humbly outside the entrance of All Saintsâ Church in Didcot, is thought to be the second oldest yew tree in the UK. Estimates of its age range from 1,000 to 1,600 years, which is mind boggling when you think this ancient, gnarled fellow (I donât know why, but it does feel like a he) might have had Romans, Vikings, Tudors and Victorians resting in its shade, along with mourners who lost loved ones during the Black Death.
Itâs suffered a bit over the years from arson attacks, but itâs still enduring, still giving us shade and shelter. Still great for a hug when youâve had a hard week (when we visited, Little Leopard had just broken his wrist).
Despite many years of climbing yew trees as a kid, I knew barely anything about them. Thanks to the Woodland Trust for teaching me a bit more.
The first thing to know is that all parts of the yew are toxic, so donât leave kids unattended with the needles and berries.
Itâs dioecious, which means that female and male flowers grow on different trees. Look out for them in March and April: male flowers look like white-yellow globes, and female flowers look like small green buds. So I guess we need to go back next spring to see if my hunch that itâs a male tree is correct.
Theyâre a great source of food and shelter for lots of animals, including firecrests, mistle thrushes, squirrels and dormice.
Frequently found in churchyards, theyâve become a symbol of death. For many years it was traditional for yew branches to be carried at funerals. Itâs also thought that yew trees were planted to stop people from grazing their cows there (because the yew would poison them).
Wildcard fact: a yew tree is categorised as ancient when it reaches 900 years old. Itâs hard to date them accurately, but itâs thought that there are around 10 ancient yews in the UK.