Search Fact Sheets Virginia Tech Dendrology

Pacific yew Taxaceae Taxus brevifolia Nutt. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet symbol: TABR2
Leaf: Evergreen needles, single, spirally arranged (although they appear 2-ranked), 1 inch long, yellow-green to dark green above and paler below (but without bloom); apex pointed but not sharp; each needle has a distinct petiole that parallels the twig for a short distance.
Flower: Species is dioecious; male flowers are small, round, and yellow and are borne on the undersides of the leaves; female flowers are solitary.
Fruit: A round, fleshy, orange-red aril about 1/4 inch long containing one hard seed, exposed at the end.
Twig: Round, slender, and remaining green for many years; relatively few lateral branches.
Bark: Always thin (about 1/4 inch), reddish brown, and scaly; inner bark is reddish purple.
Form: Small evergreen understory tree with indistinct growth form. Can reach 50 feet tall and 2 feet in diameter, but usually much smaller. Trunks are usually fluted and asymmetrical. Very slow growing but can reach a very old age.
 Looks like: English yew - Japanese yew - Anglo-Jap yew - western hemlock

Pacific yew leaf image
Pacific yew flower image
Pacific yew fruit image
Pacific yew twig image
Pacific yew bark image
Pacific yew form image
Pacific yew map image

Additional Range Information: Taxus brevifolia is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information