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 Western yew A low spreading shrub to a small tree, 5 to 15 metres tall; young trees are often square in profile, becoming more cone-shaped with age. The trunk is twisted and becomes very wide near the base, with horizontally spreading branches.
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| Leaves Needles are flat, about 2 centimetres long, with a distinctive pointed tip; dark yellowish-green, arranged spirally on twigs but twisted so that they appear to grow in two rows. Cones |
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Bark Thin, dark reddish or purplish scales shed off the trunk and expose a rose-coloured underbark. Where to
find western yew |
| Habitat Western yew occurs on a wide variety of sites, from dry and rocky to moist depressions and ravines; it generally occurs on sites that have abundant soil nutrients. It often occurs together with Douglas-fir, western redcedar, and western hemlock, as well as plants such as salal, Oregon-grape, or skunk cabbage. Where it does occur, it is important food for black-tailed deer, elk, moose, and caribou. Several birds - including blackbirds, waxwings and nuthatches - and various small rodents eat the fruit. In so doing, they scatter the seed away from the tree. |
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Uses Although the fruit of western yew is considered toxic, some coastal native groups occasionally ate it in small amounts.  The native people used the strong, stiff wood for making items such as bows, tools, paddles, and prying sticks. It is still used for making bows and paddles. Interior peoples sometimes used the branches to make snowshoe frames. |
| The bark of western yew contains a compound called taxol,
which shows promise in treating some forms of cancer. Notes |
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