How to Prune Yews

A straightforward guide on pruning and shearing yews to keep them healthy

Reviewed by Ben Barkan

Last Updated: May 1, 2023 References

Yews are long-living shrubs that come in a variety of species. Selectively pruning yews is healthiest for the shrub, and it requires choosing specific branches to cut. Look for branches that are sticking out or that are blocking sunlight to the rest of the plant. You can also shear yews, cutting them into a desired shape—just make sure the entire yew has access to sunlight and air.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Pruning Yews Selectively

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1
Start pruning yews in late March or early April. This is right before new growth will start to take place. If the yews are growing vigorously, you may need to prune them again in late June.^{[1]
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- Avoid pruning yews in the fall, as this will make them more vulnerable to winter weather.
2
Cut out diseased, dead, or broken branches. Look for shoots that have broken off, or leaves that are brown and dying. If an entire branch of leaves is yellow or brown, use hand pruners to clip the entire branch off.^{[2]
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- You can cut these out at any point during the year.
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3
Trim off any shoots that are clearly sticking out. New growth will often be light green and sticking out from the rest of the plant. You can cut these off using hand pruners, either clipping the end off so it's level with the rest of the yew, or by reaching down into the plant and cutting right where 2 branches meet.^{[3]
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- Cutting off the protruding shoots will give the yew a shaped and clean-cut look.
4
Remove branches to bring light into the yew. It's important for all of the leaves and branches to be able to receive sunlight and fresh air, including the inner ones. Select longer shoots and cut them off deep inside the shrub using a hand pruner. By doing this all over the plant, you'll open up the middle a bit so that it can be healthy as well.^{[4]
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- Sometimes yews will lean outwards with the upper branches blocking the sunlight to the bottom ones. If this is the case, trim the upper branches so that the entire plant has access to light and air.
5
Make the cut where the branch meets another branch. Once you've chosen the shoot you're going to cut, follow it down into the yew until it connects to another branch. This is where you should cut it using hand pruners, making sure the cut is flush against the attaching branch.^{[5]
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- If the shrub is super deep, you can use long-handled pruners to snip off the branch.
- Wear gloves to protect your hands when pruning, if desired.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Shearing Yews

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Cut the yews using a chainsaw to shape them in a particular way. If you want your yews in a specific shape, as opposed to their natural form, use a chainsaw to carefully cut off branches. Be cautious when using the chainsaw and go slowly.^{[6]
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- While yews are very tolerant of heavy cutting, make sure you don't cut off more than 50 percent of the plant.
- Since this isn't considered pruning for the health of the plant, you can shear yews at any point.
While you can pick any shape you want, yews will be much healthier if all of the branches and leaves have access to sunlight. Cutting your yews into a pyramid or similar shape is a good choice.^{[7]
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To maintain a perfectly shaped yew, snip off new growth that extends past the desired shape using hand pruners or pruning shears. You can clip them off to be level with the rest of the plant, or you can choose to create air pockets by removing the entire section of the branch, clipping it where the branch meets another one.^{[8]
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Is it OK to prune yews any time of the year?

Ninox

Top Answerer

No, it is best to prune yews at the beginning of spring of the end of summer.

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Question

If I trim the yew so far down that I cut off all the green, down into the small brown twigs, will those grow green on them? Our bushes are very overgrown.

Ninox

Top Answerer

Yes, yew can grow leaves from brown twigs, so you can trim it far down without any problem.

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Thank you for your feedback.
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