Yew is a type of evergreen tree known for its tough, elastic wood. The leaves of yews are flat, pointed needles, dark green on top and pale green beneath. They spread apart in two rows along the stem. A yew’s scaly bark is reddish-brown. The purplish-black seeds have scarlet coverings, making them resemble small olives. The bark, needles, and seeds of yews are poisonous. There are several species (kinds) of yews. Some grow only to the size of shrubs. Other yews may grow to be large trees that live for hundreds of years.
Yews have tough, elastic wood. The heartwood possesses an orange-red color and a grain almost as beautiful as that of mahogany. People use polished yew wood in the manufacture of tables.
Yews grow around the world. The English yew is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Many yews stand near the English Channel, where the chalky soil seems to promote their growth. In the Middle Ages, English archers made excellent longbows out of yew wood. Yew trees have often grown in English churchyards. Branches of the trees served as funeral decorations, and were twined into wreaths for the heads of the mourners. For this reason, the yew has often symbolized sadness.
The tall western, or Pacific, yew grows in western North America. People use its wood for cabinetwork and canoe paddles. Another North American species, the American yew, or ground hemlock, is a low, straggling shrub. The Asian Japanese yew grows more in the form of a shrub.
