Western Yew

Taxus brevifolia

• Description: Evergreen tree growing 2 – 15m tall. Bark is papery and reddish-brown with flat needles that are light green on top and striped underneath. ‘Fruit’ is a single seed encased by a red fleshy cup.
• Habitat: An understory species found in moist old-growth forests.
• Pair with: Douglas-fir, western redcedar, salal, evergreen huckleberry, sword fern, and false lily-of-the-valley.
• Fun Fact: The seeds are very poisionus to humans. The bark contains taxol, an important medicinal compound. The ‘fruit’ is actually a fleshy cone, known as an aril.