Taxus baccata
Common name
yew
Family
Taxaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Gymnosperms
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
TAXBAC
Brief description
Leaves petiolate, which provide a ready means of distinguishing young plants of yew from miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea) in which each leaf lamina is continuous with the stem at its base. Poisonous.
Flowering
Dioecious
Fruiting
Seed is surrounded by a fleshy red aril
Year naturalised
1968
Origin
Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia E. to Himalaya
Reason for introduction
Ornamental and for hedging. Poisonous
Poisonous plant:
All parts of this plant are poisonous including the red “berries” with the green seed.