Taxus baccata Dovastoniana - Yew

The Taxus baccata 'Dovastoniana' is a common yew with a distinctive silhouette. Its horizontally spreading branches are adorned with vertically hanging branchlets. Its dark green evergreen foliage is adorned with attractive bright red aril fruits on the rare female branches that may appear. With a moderate growth habit, suited for medium-sized gardens, this shrub or small tree may not be the most beautiful of conifers, but it offers numerous advantages. Almost maintenance-free, hardy, adaptable to different soils, exposures, and climates, this yew is easy to grow and has a legendary longevity. 

Widely present in the oldest gardens and parks in Europe, Taxus baccata sometimes watches over us for hundreds of years. Its longevity is remarkable and can reach several centuries. The 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, in low and medium mountains, in the south and in Corsica. Some stands 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 specimens growing in the Verdon Gorge are said to be over a thousand years old. Impressive specimens can also be admired in old gardens or in cemeteries, near churches for symbolic reasons (considered as a link between heaven and earth), but also to prevent herds from consuming them. The needles, bark, and fruits are indeed toxic to humans and animals, except for birds that consume the berries and discard the seeds. The common yew is an evergreen conifer from the Taxaceae family, just like the Torreya.

The 'Dovastoniana' cultivar stands out with its small size, wide and spreading habit, and weeping appearance. In reality, its branches are stiff, almost horizontal or slightly upright, and it is the secondary branchlets that hang down. With slow growth, it will not exceed 5 m (16ft) in all directions. It features an open and airy crown, giving it a generally more conical and spreading habit. Its long branches and trunk are covered with peeling reddish-brown bark. Its branchlets are adorned with flattened, dark green needles with two white bands on the underside, ending in a pointed tip but very soft to the touch. It provides a presence throughout the seasons and often forms the backbone of the garden. It is a dioecious tree, with male or female flowers on separate individuals. Thus, the red berries appear after discreet flowering only on female plants. It is also a nectar plant. 

'Dovastoniana' is a male clone on which one or two female branches sometimes appear, bearing fruits.

The Taxus baccata 'Dovastoniana' will find its place in all gardens, even small ones, from the North to the South of our country, and will adapt to all styles: formal, whimsical, classic, romantic, contemporary, rocky, or poetic. It is best surrounded by colorful foliage to brighten its dark and somewhat ghostly appearance, such as the Sambucus racemosa Plumosa Aurea, a Elderberry with large, bright golden compound leaves. The Photinia fraseri Camilvy with its bright red young shoots will also provide a colorful touch, as well as the Cercis canadensis Melon Beauty, a Judas tree that blooms pink on bare wood. The Cotinus coggygria Golden Spirit, with its golden leaves and plumes of pink flowers, is also one of those tough shrubs that will bring joy in the company of this 'Dovastoniana' yew.