Taxus media Hillii - Yew

Taxus x media 'Hillii' is a horticultural hybrid yew, particularly interesting for creating a narrow hedge of medium height, structuring a garden, or being shaped into topiary. Planted not far from its female counterpart, Taxus media 'Hicksii', this male cultivar will allow it to produce its beautiful red berries, which are decorative in late summer against its lush green foliage. It is a visually striking evergreen conifer with its columnar and dense habit and soft persistent foliage, which also has the advantage of growing quite quickly for a yew. Hardy and adaptable to different soils and climates, it has a place in every garden. It is also often used in bonsai.

Very present in the oldest European gardens and parks, yews sometimes observe us for hundreds of years. Their longevity and slow growth are indeed legendary, and these trees can live well over a century. Taxus x media is the result of a cross between Taxus baccata (common yew) and Taxus cuspidata, a Japanese yew tolerant of shade and drought, and with a faster growth rate. All these plants belong to the Taxodiaceae family, just like Cryptomerias and Metasequoias.

The 'Hillii' yew was selected by D. Hill in the USA before 1914. This shrub will not exceed 3m in height and 1.50m (4ft 11in) in width at an advanced age. Its habit, initially very columnar, becomes more conical as it ages, while remaining very narrow. Its multiple, long, and fastigiate branches allow for the formation of a fairly dense network that does not become bare at the base. Covered with veined spines of a beautiful dark green colour, shiny, tapered at the pointed end, but soft to the touch, it is adorned with a thick and regular persistent coat. It thus brings a presence throughout the seasons and often constitutes the backbone of the garden. The yew is a dioecious tree: separate individuals bear either male or female flowers. Thus, the red berries, very ornamental, appear after a discreet flowering only on the female plants.

The possibilities offered by yews are endless. They enclose, shape, and sculpt spaces, thanks to their always green and flawless "fur". The 'Hillii' variety will find its place in all gardens, even the smallest, from the North to the South of our country, and will adapt to all fantasies and styles: strict, whimsical, or poetic. And this is even more true as this hybrid yew is not only very hardy but also accepts all types of soil: ordinary, slightly acidic or chalky, moist or dry. It is not afraid of wind and can be an excellent windbreak, alone or accompanied by evergreen hedge shrubs that are just as frugal (Eleagnus, cotoneaster, compact Chamaecyparis and junipers, Photinia, compact strawberry tree...). It only needs to be pruned twice a year and will manage to regenerate after a severe cut by shooting through the old wood. Indifferent to exposure, it can even be planted in shade. If you want to keep it near entrances, it is also suitable for container cultivation.

In France, impressive specimens can be admired. Yews are sometimes relegated to cemeteries or near churches for symbolic reasons (considered to be the 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, which consume the berries and reject the seeds).