Scientific Name:
Taxus baccata
'Fastigiata'
Pronunciation:
TACKS-us buh-KAY-tuh
Common Name:
Irish yew
Family Name:
Taxaceae
Plant Type:
Conifer
Key ID Features:
Dense, columnar form with upright branches; needles dark green; male cones may appear on some branches; fruit-like female cones each with a fleshy red aril and a single green seed occur on most specimens (plants with male cones only are also common).
Habit:
Fastigiate
Form:
Columnar
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
7 - 10m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Europe, Garden origin
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Hedge row, Screening, Sheared hedge (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Google. Some images are of T. 'Fastigiata Aurea'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Needle-like
Arrangement:
Spiraled
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
n/a (male cone)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Colour (petals):
Male cone, No flowers, Brown
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Cone (winged seeds)
Fruit Colour:
Red
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Showy, Accessory tissue, Single ovoid-oblong seed (that is poisonous) about 8mm long, partially enveloped by a fleshy cup-shaped disk called an aril (not poisonous)
Bark Morphology:
Exfoliating, Lightly fissured, Multi-stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Red, Brown
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Root rot, Scale insects (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
Phytophthora root rot in water-logged soils
