Taxus canadensis
Canadian Yew
Taxaceae
ExpandHabitat
- hardy to zone 2
- native to Canada down through the Midwest
Habit and Form
- an evergreen shrub
- low-growing, loose form
- 3' to 6' tall
- 6' to 8' wide
- medium texture
- slow growth rate
Summer Foliage
- evergreen needle-like foliage
- two-ranked needles
- dense
- 0.5" to 0.75" long
- pointed apex
- lush dark green leaf color
Autumn Foliage
- none, evergreen
- reddish winter cast
Flowers
- dioecious
- form on previous years wood
- blooms in March and April
- ornamentally unimportant
Fruit
- hard seed covered by a red aril
- mildly attractive
Bark
- not ornamentally important
Culture
- easily transplanted from B&B or container
- prefers moist, well-drained, sandy, slightly acidic soil
- prune tolerant
- sun or shade
Landscape Use
- groundcover
- mass or groupings
- bonsai
Liabilities
- no serious insect problems
- yellowing in windswept sites
- doesn't like heat
ID Features
- two-ranked needles
- red aril covering seed
- reddish brown bark
- sharp pointed leaf apex
- low growing
Propagation
- mostly done by cuttings
Cultivars/Varieties
'Stricta' (also known as 'Pyramidalis') - This form grows with ascending, upright stems that carry foliage which turns brown-red in winter.