Taxus baccata Fastigiata Robusta - Yew

Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Robusta' is a variety of yew tree that is particularly elegant. With a very harmonious upright habit, slowly forming a column with a tapered top and a compact appearance, it is adorned with dense foliage of a deep and vibrant green. With its timeless elegance, this conifer brings a remarkably graphic vertical touch to gardens of all sizes. Yew trees, the quiet strength of nature, combine elegance with a very accommodating character: they have slow growth, tolerate pruning perfectly, require little maintenance and adapt to a wide range of growing conditions. 'Fastigiata Robusta' is perfect for creating a highly structured hedge and is also well-suited for topiary art.

Taxus baccata, also known as the common yew tree, can be found in the oldest gardens and parks in Europe, sometimes standing for hundreds of years. They have a remarkable longevity and can live for several centuries. This species, which has become rare in the wild, is native to Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa. In France, it can still be found in the plains of Brittany, Normandy, and the Vosges, as well as in low and medium mountain areas in the south and Corsica. Some populations also survive in the limestone massifs of Provence, on the northern slopes of the Sainte Baume and the Sainte Victoire near Aix-en-Provence. Some individuals growing in the Verdon Gorge are said to be over a thousand years old. Impressive specimens can also be admired in old gardens or cemeteries, near churches for symbolic reasons, as the yew tree is considered to be the link between heaven and earth. The needles, bark, and fruit are toxic to humans and animals, except for birds that consume the berries and discard the seeds. The common yew tree belongs to the Taxodiaceae family, just like Cryptomerias and Metasequoias.

The 'Fastigiata Robusta' cultivar is distinguished by moderate growth and a dense and regular fastigiate habit. With slow growth, it will reach a height of about 3 to 4 metres (9 feet 10 inches to 13 feet 1 inches) and a diameter of 1 metre (3 feet 4 inches) at maturity. At the age of 10, the plant will measure about 1.50 metres (4 feet 11 inches) in height and 30 centimetres (11.8 inches) in width. Its short, upright branches and trunk are covered with a reddish-brown bark that flakes off. Its branchlets are adorned with flattened and shiny needles with two white bands on the underside, ending in a pointed tip but very soft to the touch. Their colour, a dark and deep green, sometimes appears almost black under intense sunlight. This shrub provides a presence throughout the seasons and often forms the backbone of the garden. It is a dioecious tree, with male and female flowers on separate individuals. Red berries only appear on female plants after inconspicuous flowering. It is also a honey-bearing tree.

Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Robusta', naturally elegant like all yew trees, will find its place in any garden, even small ones, from the North to the South of our country, and can adapt to any style: formal, whimsical, classic, contemporary, minimalist, slightly mystical or poetic. And this is especially true because this yew tree is not only very hardy but also tolerant of any type of soil: ordinary, slightly acidic or alkaline, moist or dry. It can be a beautiful solitary specimen or be accompanied by low shrubs, or even creeping ones that are equally undemanding (Cotoneaster, Chamaecyparis, small junipers, Coprosma, etc.). If you are patient, you can also plant it as a hedge or in a row along a wide path, with a row of boxwood or myrtle in mild climates. Pruning is not essential or can be limited to one intervention per year, and it will successfully regenerate after a more severe pruning by sprouting from old wood. It is indifferent to exposure and can even be planted in shade in hot climates. Finally, yew trees can advantageously replace cypresses, which have faster growth but are susceptible to diseases and not well-suited for pruning.