European yew - plant in Estonia (0)

European yew
Ursula
11. kl
Description
It is a small- to medium-sized evergreen tree, growing 10­20
metres.
The bark is thin, brown, coming off in small flakes aligned with the
stem.
The leaves are lanceolate, flat, dark green and highly poisonous.
The seed cones are highly modified, each cone containing a single
seed long partly surrounded by a modified scale which develops
into a soft, bright red berry-like structure called an aril.
The arils are mature 6­9 months after pollination, and with the
seed contained are eaten by thrushes, waxwings and other birds.
The aril is not poisonous.
The seeds themselves are extremely poisonous and bitter, but are
opened and eaten by some bird species
Toxicity
The bark, stem, needles and seeds of the
yew are poisonous, although birds can eat
the berries without digesting the seed. This
dangerous side of the yew has led some to
call it the "tree of death,,.
Symptoms include staggering gait, muscle
tremors, collapse, difficulty breathing,
coldness and eventually heart failure.
However, death occurs so rapidly that
many times the symptoms are missed.
Fatal poisoning in humans is very rare, only
occurring after eating a lot of yew foliage.
Traditional uses
In recent years it has been found that taxol, a chemical found
in the bark of the yew, inhibits cell growth and cell division,
and may have some promise in the fight against cancer.
It was also one of the most important trees in the history of
European warfare, as its wood was used exclusively for the
making of the longbows, spears and dagger handles.
In the past they were used as landmarks, because of their size
and longevity, and their dark branches would make them
stand out in the landscape.
It is excellent for furniture making, interior, fences, gates,
chairs, doors, tables, and rustic furniture.
Where the Yew Grows
It is also possible to find small trees
growing near bigger trees, which
transplant well. They prefer a
moist, fertile, sandy loam soil, but
will grow well in most soils except
water-logged ground or sticky wet
clay. They also grow well on chalk.
They resist pollution and can
flourish in the shade of taller
trees.
Yew trees are often found lining
cemeteries and churchyards
Ancient yews
Yews are slow-growing and long-lived, and
are often associated with cemeteries where
the trees grow undisturbed.
There are many European yews whose age
has been analyzed to be many hundreds of
years old.
The oldest yew on record is the Fortingall Yew
in Perthshire, Scotland, which is estimated
to be around 5,000 years old
Under threat
European Yews are a threatened species
because they never fully succeeded in
regenerating after deforestation, and due
to the modern day over-harvesting for
Taxol.
They have always been considered a trash
tree and are thus threatened by
deforestation.