Description

A small to medium-sized tree, growing up to 10 to 20 metres high (exceptionally up to 28 m), with a trunk up to 2 metres in diameter (exceptionally 4 m). Evergreen foliage, dark green and shiny on top, with two light green stripes on the underside. Slow-growing but very long-lived. Fruits: contrary to its English name "yew", which might suggest a yew with arils, only the female yew produces fleshy red fruits (arils) which surround a small brown nut. Note that only the aril is safe for birds; the nut and all other parts of the tree are poisonous.

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Origin

Common Yew is native to North Africa and the Near East. It is found in Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia and Algeria. In Europe, it can be found in the Vosges, Jura, Alps, Sainte-Baume (Var), Cévennes, Hautes-Corbières and Pyrenees, as well as in Corsica.