Taxus baccata Summergold

Taxus baccata 'Summergold', with its sprawling and almost cloudy habit and its pale gold foliage in summer, is a variety of common yew that perfectly lives up to its name, especially since it does not scorch in the sun. Just like its ancestor yew, this conifer grows slowly and adapts to extremely varied growing conditions. A true tranquil force of nature, combining elegance and a highly accommodating character, it is decorative all year round, perfectly tolerates pruning, and requires little maintenance. 'Summergold' is suitable for gardens of all sizes.

Present in the oldest gardens and parks in Europe, Taxus baccata sometimes contemplate us for hundreds of years. Their longevity is indeed 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 is still present in the plains of Brittany, Normandy, and the Vosges, in low and medium mountains in the south and in 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 gorges of Verdon are said to be over a thousand years old. You can also admire impressive specimens in old gardens or in cemeteries, near churches for symbolic reasons as yew is considered to be the link between heaven and earth. The needles, bark, and fruits are toxic to humans and animals, except for birds that consume the berries and discard the seeds. The common yew is a conifer of the Taxodiaceae family, just like Cryptomerias and Metasequoias. It is a dioecious tree: each individual will bear either male or female flowers. Thus, the red berries appear after discreet flowering only on female plants, in the presence of male plants of any variety. It is also a honey-bearing tree.

The 'Summergold' cultivar stands out with its much more modest stature, a very sprawling habit, and its young yellow-gold foliage. Slow-growing, it will reach about 80cm (31.5in) in height and 2.50m (8ft) in diameter at maturity. Its branches and trunk are covered with 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 sharp point but very soft to the touch. Their colour, at the time of spring bud break, is a light yellow-green. Over the weeks and months, they turn into bright golden yellow, bronze, and then very dark and deep green, creating a beautiful range of colours on the scale of the shrub. This conifer brings a presence throughout the seasons and often constitutes the backbone of the garden.

The 'Summergold' yew will find many uses in the garden and can also be planted in a large container on the terrace. It is superb in rock gardens, flower beds, on slopes, along pathways, above walls... It adapts from the north to the south of our country and can be tailored to any style: strict, whimsical, classic, contemporary, mineral, slightly mystical, or poetic. And this is even more true since this yew is not only very hardy but also accepts any type of soil: ordinary, slightly acidic or alkaline, moist or dry. It can be a beautiful standalone specimen or be accompanied by low shrubs, or even creeping ones, just as frugal (low-growing cotoneaster, cypress and small-growing junipers, white germander, etc.). Pruning is not necessary or can be limited to once a year, and it will successfully regrow after a more severe cut by penetrating the old wood.