Common Yew

Name: Common Yew

Scientific name: Taxus baccata

Category: Trees and bushes

Nature Stars: 50

What are nature stars?

About: A medium sized evergreen tree, growing to 20 metres tall. Poisonous.

How to identify: Easily recognised by the dense, glossy dark green needles and the bright red berry-like fruit with a single dark seed.

Where: Widespread, widely planted particularly in graveyards.

Fantastic fact: The oldest Yew tree in Britain is the Fortingall Yew in Scotland, which is likely to be over 2000 years old, the oldest tree in the country.

Photograph credit: Philip Precey