Choose yew by class first: English, an Irish column, Anglo-Japanese, or Canada yew. The catalog plants sit in those groups.
Choose English, Irish column, Anglo-Japanese, or Canada yew
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| English | Spreading, weeping, or gold Taxus baccata | Treating every English tag as a 3-foot hedge |
| Irish column | Fastigiata class — a vertical accent | Buying it as a wide Densiformis mound |
| Anglo-Japanese | Media hedge: Densiformis mound or Hicksii column | Calling it yew pine or true Japanese yew |
| Canada yew | Low native sprawl in shade | Expecting a formal clipped screen |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of taxus that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read species and the mature width before you buy. English yew is the old European class — often wider than tall unless the tag says a column. Irish yew is a narrow English column, not a 4-foot mound. Anglo-Japanese is the hardy US hedge cross, as a dense mound or a tall column. Canada yew is the native sprawler, not a sheared foundation hedge. [1] [2] Once you know the kind, site it on How to Grow Yew. [3] [4]
What is the difference between English and Japanese yew?
English yew is Taxus baccata, including Irish columns. True Japanese yew is Taxus cuspidata — not a card here. Most US hedge plants sold as Japanese yew are Anglo-Japanese (Taxus × media), such as Densiformis and Hicksii.
Is Hicks yew a Japanese yew?
Hicksii is Taxus × media — Anglo-Japanese. True Japanese yew is Taxus cuspidata. Yew pine is Podocarpus.
Browse by kind
English yew
Repandens is the classic spreading English plant — much wider than tall. Repens Aurea is the same low habit with gold edges.
Dovastoniana weeps. David is an upright English shrub, not a skinny Irish column.
Irish column
Fastigiata is Irish yew — a narrow dark-green column. Fastigiata Aurea is the gold form of that column. Standishii is a compact gold English column, not a Hicks hedge.
Anglo-Japanese yew
Densiformis is the usual dense Anglo-Japanese mound for a low hedge. Hicksii is the tall narrow media column. Both are Taxus × media, not true Japanese yew.
Canada yew
Canada yew is the native sprawler, also called ground-hemlock. It is Taxus, not hemlock, and not a sheared foundation hedge.
Culture stays the same well-drained bed. Pick by class and the width on the tag, not by a shop list of extra names. A spreading English plant is not a Hicks screen.
If the tag says only Japanese yew, check whether the plant is Taxus or Podocarpus.
FAQ
Is Capitata or true Japanese yew in this list?
No. Taxus cuspidata Capitata is not a card here. US shops often use Japanese yew for Anglo-Japanese media hedges.
Are Everlow, Tauntonii, or Brownii here?
No. Those media names are not cards here. Match the Latin on the tag to English, Irish column, Anglo-Japanese, or Canada yew.
Related guides
References
- [1] Virginia Cooperative Extension -
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/3010/3010-1500/3010-1500.pdf - [2] University of Missouri IPM -
https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2020/6/yews-DT/ - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/taxus-x-media/ - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/taxus-baccata/
This note is part of Taxus Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors