HOW-TO

Plant primer: Bright Gold Japanese yew

Staff Writer

The Columbus Dispatch

Height: 4 to 6?feet

Spread: 5 to 7?feet

Hardiness: Zones 4-7

Origin: Korea, China, Russia and Japan

Bright Gold Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata ‘Bright Gold’) demands attention.

This evergreen is not really evergreen. New, bright golden yellow needles appear in spring. The needles have a thin green midrib.

As summer progresses, needles tend to fade to green but will keep an overall golden look.

Bright Gold Japanese yew grows best in well-drained soil and won’t tolerate standing water.

Try it in a garden border that gets some shade, which will prolong the color and protect it from sun burn.

See the bright foliage of the Bright Gold Japanese yew in the Crane Conifer and Ornamental Grass Collection at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

— Barbara Arnold,

Franklin Park Conservatory