How to Buy Yews: A Comprehensive Guide

Your Guide to buying the best Yews

Overview

An evergreen shrub, Yews are popular for their hardy nature, ornamental value, and ability to tolerate a variety of conditions. This buying guide will provide you with an overview of the different types of Yews available, as well as advice on how to choose the right type for your garden. It will also cover the proper care and maintenance requirements of Yews, so you can have a successful planting season.

Key features

  1. Disease Resistance: Yews are known for their disease resistance, and it is important to check if the yews you are considering are labeled as resistant to common diseases.
  2. Pruning Requirements: Yews require regular pruning and shaping to look their best. Make sure to check the pruning requirements of the yews you are considering.
  3. Light Requirements: Different yews have different light requirements, so it is important to check what the light requirements are for the particular yews you are considering before purchase.
  4. Water Requirements: Yews need to be watered regularly, so it is important to check the water requirements of the yews you are considering.
  5. Size Requirements: Yews are available in a variety of sizes, so it is important to select the size that will work best for your space.

See the most popular Yews on Amazon

Important considerations

Pros

  • Drought Resistance: Yews are extremely drought resistant once established, needing very little water compared to other popular plants.
  • Versatile: Yews can be planted in a variety of different ways, such as hedges, screens, borders, and specimens.
  • Low Maintenance: Yews require very little maintenance and thrive in urban environments.
  • Long Lived: Generally, Yews live for a long time, often more than a hundred years.
  • Adaptable: Yews have a wide range of soil and light requirements, making them suitable for many areas.

Cons

  • Tendency to be Overgrown: Yews are evergreen and can be prone to overgrowth if not pruned regularly.
  • Susceptible to Disease: Yews are susceptible to certain fungal and bacterial diseases, as well as pests such as scale and mites.
  • Slow Growth Rate: Yews are known to grow at a slow rate, making it difficult to achieve the desired size and shape in a shorter period of time.
  • Difficult to Transplant: Established yews may be difficult to transplant due to their deep tap roots and dense root system.

Best alternatives

  1. Boxwood - Popular, evergreen shrub with broad glossy leaves.
  2. Holly - An evergreen shrub with bright, glossy, spiny foliage.
  3. Juniper - Evergreen shrub with dense foliage and fragrant foliage.
  4. Rhododendron - Deciduous shrub with leathery, dark green, glossy leaves and abundant, showy flower clusters.
  5. Cotoneaster - Evergreen or deciduous shrub with glossy leaves and white, pink or red berries.

Related tools, supplies, and accessories

  • Pruners- Handheld gardening tools used to cut branches and shoots of yews.
  • Fertilizer- A nutrient-rich blend of minerals and organic matter used to promote healthy yew growth.
  • Mulch- Organic material such as wood chips, bark, or straw used to protect the soil and plant roots of yews.
  • Soil Test Kit- A kit used to measure the pH level of soil and other nutrients necessary for healthy yew growth.
  • Pest Control- Products such as insecticides or fungicides used to protect yews from pests.

Common questions

  1. What are the key features of Yews? Yews are dense, evergreen, coniferous trees that have short, flat needles with two white lines on the underside. They can grow in various shapes, from upright, pyramidal to spreading and rounded, and offer a range of sizes, from low-growing ground covers to larger trees. Yews are also very adaptable and can tolerate a range of soil types, climates, and light levels.
  2. What types of Yews are there? Common yew species include Taxus baccata, Taxus cuspidata, Taxus media, Taxus × media, and Taxus × sharpsii.
  3. Where should I plant Yews? Yews are best suited to growing in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8, where temperatures range from -20 to -10°F (-28.8 to -23.3°C). They prefer full sun or partial shade and well-draining, acidic soil.
  4. How should Yews be watered? Yews require regular watering during the first growing season until their root systems are well established. After that, water when the soil feels dry to the touch. It is also important to mulch around the base of the yew to help retain moisture in the soil.
  5. How often should Yews be pruned? Yews should be pruned twice a year in the spring and fall. Pruning should be done to maintain the desired shape and size of the yew. It is important to avoid removing more than one-third of the branches each year.
  6. Are Yews susceptible to pests or diseases? Yews are relatively pest and disease resistant, but they can be susceptible to fungal diseases, especially if the yew is stressed or not receiving enough water. Common diseases include powdery mildew and needle canker.

Trivia

Yews have long been associated with longevity and are often found in churchyards and cemeteries, as they are known to be one of the longest living trees. It is said that parts of the yew tree have been found in English churches that are over 5,000 years old. In addition to this, the yew tree is home to an impressive array of wildlife, including woodpeckers, wrens, owls and even bats. One interesting fact about yews is that the largest yew hedge in the UK is located in Oxfordshire and is home to over 400 trees. The hedge is said to be over 650 years old and measures over 3 miles long! Source: https://pickapro.ie/blog/yew-trees-in-ireland/

Disclaimer: This buying guide was not created by humans, and it is possible that some of it's content is inaccurate or incomplete. We do not guarantee or take any liability for the accuracy of this buying guide. Additionally, the images on this page were generated by AI and may not accurately represent the product that is being discussed. We have tried to convey useful information, but it is our subjective opinion and should not be taken as complete or factual.