Taxus spp.-- Yews

Non-native (Europe and Asia)

Two yews are commonly cultivated: T. cuspidata (Japanese Yew, Spreading Yew) and T. baccata (English Yew, Common Yew), as well as a hybrid between the two.

Taxus sp. [8]

[1] T. baccata

[1] T. cuspidata

[4] Typical fruit
[1] T. baccata

[1] T. cuspidata


Notes:
While yews are not often found naturalized in Michigan, birds do frequently utilize cultivated shrubs, including small birds that struggle but eagerly consume the large fruit (arils). A native yew, T. canadensis, is a lower-growing shrub with more flattened leaves growing in a single plane; aril is similar.

Fruit ripening dates: August through October

Seed dispersal dates: August through October

Seeds present in fecal samples in birds found at the Rouge River Bird Observatory, Dearborn, MI.

References:



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