Plant Finder

Other Names:  Common Yew

Description:

A beautiful dwarf cultivar that grows very slowly, and has an upright habit with outward, ascending branches; light green new foliage matures to dark green; excellent form for garden use; protect from extreme cold, or dry winter winds

Ornamental Features

Amersfoort English Yew is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. It has dark green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The small needles remain dark green throughout the winter. The fruits are showy red drupes displayed from early to late fall.

Landscape Attributes

Amersfoort English Yew is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and can be pruned at anytime. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Amersfoort English Yew is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Topiary

Planting & Growing

Amersfoort English Yew will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 150 years or more; think of this as a heritage shrub for future generations!

This shrub performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.