Plant Library

Other Names:  Common Yew

Description:

A wonderful small evergreen color accent tree, with radiant golden needles in spring which fade to bright golden-yellow on a large, pyramidal and spreading form, interesting red berries, has numerous applications, takes pruning well

Ornamental Features

Watnong Gold Yew has attractive yellow evergreen foliage which emerges gold in spring on a tree with an oval habit of growth. The ferny sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and turn chartreuse in the fall, which persists throughout the winter. The fruits are showy red drupes displayed from early to late fall.

Landscape Attributes

Watnong Gold Yew is a dense evergreen tree with a shapely oval form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and can be pruned at anytime. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Watnong Gold Yew is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade
• Vertical Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Topiary

Planting & Growing

Watnong Gold Yew will grow to be about 25 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 120 years or more; think of this as a heritage tree for future generations!

This tree performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.