Taxus baccata Dovastonii Aurea - Yew

Taxus baccata 'Dovastonii Aurea' brings a touch of whimsy to the kingdom of the common yew, sometimes considered a bit austere. Adorned with beautiful golden foliage, this luminous conifer slowly forms a beautiful specimen as wide as it is tall with gracefully drooping branches that are adorned, on the female plants, with a lovely red fruiting in bright red arils. With moderate growth more suited to medium-sized gardens, attractive all year round, almost maintenance-free, hardy, adaptable to different soils, exposures, and climates, this shrub definitely has many advantages.

Very present in the oldest gardens and parks in Europe, Taxus baccata sometimes watch over us for hundreds of years. Their longevity is indeed remarkable and can reach several centuries. The species, which has become rare in the wild, is native to Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa. In France, it is still present in the plains of Brittany, Normandy, and the Vosges, in low and medium mountains in the south and in Corsica. Some stands also survive in the limestone massifs of Provence, on the northern slopes of Sainte Baume and Sainte Victoire near Aix-en-Provence. Some specimens growing in the Verdon Gorge are said to be over a thousand years old. You can also admire impressive specimens in old gardens or cemeteries, near churches for symbolic reasons (considered as the link between heaven and earth), but also to prevent herds from consuming them. The needles, bark, and fruits are indeed toxic to humans and animals, except for birds that consume the berries and discard the seeds. The common yew is a conifer of the Taxodium family, just like Cryptomerias and Metasequoias.

The 'Dovastonii Aurea' cultivar distinguishes itself with its small size, wide, spreading, and weeping habit, and golden foliage. Slow-growing, it will not exceed 5m (16ft 5in) in all directions. It is characterized by an open and airy crown. Its long flexible branches and trunk are covered with reddish-brown bark that flakes off. Its branchlets are adorned with flattened, yellow to yellow-green needles that are shiny and have two white bands on the undersides, with a pointed tip but very soft to the touch. It provides a presence throughout the seasons and often forms the backbone of the garden. It is a dioecious tree: individuals bear male or female flowers. Thus, the red berries appear after a discreet flowering only on the female plants. It is also a honey tree.

Taxus baccata 'Dovastonii Aurea' will find its place in all gardens, even small ones, from the North to the South of our country, and will adapt to all styles: strict, whimsical, classic, romantic, contemporary, mineral, or poetic. And this is even more true since this yew is not only very hardy but also accepts all types of soil: ordinary, slightly acidic or alkaline, moist or dry. It can be a beautiful standalone specimen or be accompanied by equally frugal creeping shrubs (Cotoneaster, Chamaecyparis, and dwarf junipers, Coprosma..). Pruning is not necessary or is limited to one intervention per year, and it will successfully regenerate after a more severe cut by penetrating the old wood. Indifferent to exposure, it can even be planted in the shade. If you want to keep it near entrances, it also thrives in containers.