Taxus baccata Elegantissima - Yew

Taxus baccata 'Elegantissima' is a female cultivar of the common yew that is characterised by golden foliage, abundant fruiting, and moderate growth. It forms a highly colourful shrub throughout the seasons, particularly stunning in autumn when it is adorned with red berries. It is a variety suitable for medium-sized gardens, especially for creating an evergreen hedge or in a large bed. Like all common yews, this cultivar is hardy, low-maintenance, and not demanding in terms of soil requirements.

Taxus baccata 'Elegantissima' belongs to the Taxaceae family, and this cultivar with golden foliage was selected in the 1800s. Slow-growing, with an upright, broad, and compact habit, this shrub reaches a height of 1.5 m and a width of 1 m in a decade. Its annual growth is around 5 to 10 cm, so it reaches approximately 2 m in height and 1.50 m in spread at the age of 20. This conifer develops spreading branches adorned with golden yellow needles that turn cream-green over the weeks. If planted in shade, its needles remain lighter than those of the common yew, without being truly golden. This female cultivar produces small flowers in spring, which are not very visible but attractive to bees. In the presence of a nearby male plant, numerous red berries form in autumn. These berries are sought after by some birds but toxic to humans. The bark of this yew is also interesting for its reddish-brown colouration.

Very present in the oldest gardens and parks in Europe, Taxus baccata sometimes live for several centuries. The species, now rare in the wild, is native to Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa. Impressive specimens can 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 animals from consuming them. The needles, bark, and fruits are toxic to humans and animals, except for birds that consume the berries and discard the seeds. It is a dioecious tree: individuals bear male or female flowers.

The 'Elegantissima' common yew is decorative throughout the seasons and will provide the backbone of the garden. It adapts to almost any location and to gardens of all styles: formal, classical, romantic, contemporary, minimalist, or Mediterranean. It can be integrated into a windbreak hedge with other hedge conifers or low-maintenance evergreen shrubs such as Elaeagnus ebbingei 'Compacta' or Photinia 'Carré Rouge', for example.