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Plough
Field Allotments at Amerton
Gardening
Tips
By Mrs FM
Hartley.
Unusual
& Old
Fashioned Fruit
Trees.
Unusual
Vegetables,
Herbs & Other
Edible Plants.
Environmental
Issues And Going Green.
Vines
And Other Climbing Plants.
Fish
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Books
By
Alan J Hartley
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Tree Project.
Yew
or Taxus Baccata.
Yew Trees can grow into
very large trees reaching some 20 metres with a large canopy, but they
are also very slow growing and can live for many centuries. Indeed there
are thought to be about 10 trees in the UK that are over 1,000 years
old.
Being one of the longest lived native trees in the UK it has long been
associated with morbid beliefs around death and immortality. Yew Trees,
or Taxus Baccata, have been cultivated since Roman Times when they were
believed to grow in Hell. Indeed there are said to be over 500
Churchyards in England with Yew Trees that are older than the Churches
within them. It is thought that they believed that the yew Trees would
purify the Plague victims buried in the Church Yards and prevent the
disease from spreading. The trees may also have been planted to stop
people from grazing their cattle on the religious sites as yew Trees are
very poisonous to cattle. Trees may also have been planted to give a
ready supply of branches because for centuries they were carried at
Funerals and used in Palm Sunday Ceremony’s.
Although, the foliage is extremely poisonous containing the Taxane
Alkaloids, the trees themselves are very good for wildlife. Their dense
foliage provides excellent protection for nesting birds and their fruit
is also a good source of food for birds and many other animals. The
Seeds borne on Yew Trees after pollination, only appear on Female Trees
as there are separate Male and Female trees with yew trees being
dioecious. Most Conifers produce their seeds in a Cone, but Yew Trees
produce what looks like an open ended, red fleshed Berry, called an
Aril.
Yew Trees will grow in almost any soil type and anywhere, whether it is
in full sun, or shade. However, they do not like to have their roots in
wet, or boggy ground as they are susceptible to rotting. It is this
toughness and their dense growth that has made them a firm favourite for
Topiary Work in gardens throughout the Centuries. In particular they
have long been used to make formal hedges of almost any height from a
few feet to the towering hedges seen in some stately homes. Because Yew
are also very slow growing they lend themselves to being grown in
Containers on Yards where they can add shape and structure amongst other
planted containers. The Irish Yew (Taxus Baccata Fastigiata) in
particular is very ornamental with its columnar growth style and coming
in a golden leaved variety it makes quite a feature plant in any garden.
Although Yew Trees are quite poisonous they do have many uses after
being felled. However, these days many of our older trees are protected
with preservation orders on them and special permission has to be
granted to harvest them for their medicinal uses. Modern Anti Cancer
medicines are made using their foliage nowadays and in years gone by,
their Timber was widely used for many purposes. It is very strong and
durable so was used to Long Bows and Tool Handles as well as being used
to make the Staves in Wine Barrels.
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