TREES OF ENGLAND
Jan Johnstone on the Churchyard Yew (Taxus Baccata) and its notoriety
THE dark-green yew is known for its impressive longevity as well as its more sinister properties. Shakespeare knew of its ominous reputation – the witches in Macbeth dropped into their cauldron, “slips of yew silvered in the moon’s eclipse”.
The evergreen yew grows throughout the UK, particularly in the south where it’s frequently found in beech woodlands. One of the largest yew forests is at Kingley Vale in Sussex where a grove of ancient trees is believed to be 2,000 years old.
Alternatively, visit the Linton Yew near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire to see their amazing tree with its hollowed-out trunk in St Mary’s Churchyard. With a girth of over 29 feet (9 metres) it is estimated to be well over 800 years old.
A mature yew tree can reach heights of 65 feet (20 metres) and can live for over 1,500 years due to its ability to put out aerial roots from its trunk.
This happens when the tree is about 400 years old, the heart by then having rotted away. Reaching the ground, the roots are able to provide water, nutrients and stability.
The bark of the yew tree is thin, flaky and a reddish-brown tinged with purple whilst its twigs support rows of small dark green needles with a paler green underside. In spring, the male tree, identified by its small clusters of creamy-yellow flowers laden with pollen, fertilises the female tree’s small green flower buds which go on to bear bright red cup-shaped berries with a single black seed. Be very cautious when discovering yew trees as all parts are poisonous.
Birds use its hollows as nest sites whilst upper branches provide a home for the tiny goldcrest and firecrest, the UK’s smallest birds. Larger species such as the blackbird, fieldfare, finches and thrush all feed off the fleshy red berries, carefully discarding the seeds and thus helping the tree’s distribution. Small mammals also seek out the berries whilst the needles are predated by the brown “Satin Beauty” moth’s caterpillars.
Yew timber is very strong and long-lasting as well as being flexible and has been used extensively over the centuries. In prehistoric times, hunting spears were made from its wood whilst centuries later trees were stripped to make the famous English long bows that ensured victory at the Battle of Agincourt. The wood has been used for some musical instruments such as the lute and it is also good for carving, wood turning and veneers. Today, it is frequently used by cabinet makers to produce high quality furniture.
As with other trees, the yew was considered sacred by the Celts and druid priests would carry wands of yew to cast out evil spirits. Romans believed the tree grew in hell and when Christianity was introduced into England, Anglo-Saxons frequently built their churches alongside these ancient trees on sites which had previously been sacred to pagans.
This explains why many are seen growing in churchyards today. In Britain it has been estimated there are around 500 ancient churches where the trees in the churchyard are older than the building.
In the past, concoctions made from the yew tree were used in folk medicine, some to the detriment of the patient. In today’s modern medicine, however, anti-cancer compounds taken from the needles of the yew between May and October are highly successful in treatments.
So look out for the yew tree when next out and about but don’t forget its “toil and trouble”!
Visit the following websites to find out more about the yew tree: thegreatsussexway.org and ancienttreeforum.org.uk