The Japanese yew is a woody evergreen tree or shrub in the yew family (Taxaceae). It is native to Korea, China, Russia, and Japan. This plant was introduced to the United States in 1833. The name derives from the Latin word cuspidatus , meaning “prickly pointed,” which refers to the sharp, pointed tips of the foliage. Grow the Japanese yew in full sun, dappled sunlight, or in partial shade. It requires sandy or loamy, neutral to acidic soil with good drainage. This yew is tolerant of urban conditions and drought. It is also very cold hardy and easy to maintain. It tolerates pruning well and needs regular annual pruning to maintain its shape. Heights of up to 50 feet have been recorded when the Japanese yew is grown in its natural habitat. Grown as a landscape specimen and pruned regularly the height typically averages around 25 feet. Plant 6 to 12 feet apart. The needle-like foliage is dark green with a yellow-tinged underside and may turn reddish brown or yellow in the winter. The bark is reddish brown. Male plants produce small, pollen-producing cones. Female plants produce single-seeded, fleshy cones that develop into naked seeds partially covered by showy red arils. The aril is a fleshy outgrowth of the stalk that bears the seed. The seed+aril resembles a berry. Birds eat the arils and disperse the seeds . The Japanese yew has an impressive variety of uses in the landscape. It is an excellent choice for hedges and privacy screens and can be shaped as topiary. Use it as a specimen or accent plant on your lawn, in a patio, or along a walkway. It also works well in woodland settings. Quick ID Shrubs with spirally-arranged, short, green linear leaves with two flat rows of needles Female plants with red arils Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Issues with winter burn can occur in locations where the plant is exposed. Root rot can occur when the soil is not properly drained. Twig blight and needle blight can also be a problem. Insects affecting the plant include mealybugs, scale, and weevils. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Taxus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheRhododendron PJM GroupTaxus chinensisTaxus x media
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Poisonous; Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Erect; Multi-stemmed; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The needle like foliage is dark green with a yellow-tinged underside. It can turn a reddish-brown or yellow color in the winter.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The red arils, in small amounts, are edible. The green seed is toxic.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Scaly reddish-brown bark.
Stem detail
Multistemmed.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Korea, China, Russia and Japan
Wildlife value
Birds are attracted to the fruits.
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Buffer; Easy to Grow; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Seeds; Bark
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Bark, leaves, seed pit (red, fleshy surrounding part, called the aril, is OK to eat)