The Florida yew is an evergreen conifer shrub or small tree in the yew family (Taxaceae) native to a small area of the Florida panhandle along the Apalachicola River. It can be found growing along moist ravines in hardwood forests and is considered critically endangered. The specific epithet refers to the native range in Florida. This tree grows 12 to 18 feet tall and wide, and rarely up to 25 feet. It prefers fertile, slightly acidic, consistently moist but well-drained soils in partial sun. Tolerant of full sun to nearly full shade. It needs to be protected from harsh winds to prevent winter burn. Propagation is by seed or stem cuttings. The tree is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female trees. The female produces a berry-like aril with a single seed that matures to red in the fall. This tree or large shrub grows in a dense form with horizontal branches and fragrant leaves. Seeds and foliage of this tree are poisonous to humans, pets and livestock. Use Florida yew as a specimen in a winter or woodland garden. It should do well along streams and ponds. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Potential diseases include twig blight and needle blight. Root rot may occur in poorly-drained soils. Potential insects include weevils, mealybugs and scale. More information on Taxus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 18 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The dark green needles are 1 inch long, flat, linear, fine-textured, needle-like and pointed. They occur in two horizontal ranks and are mildly fragrant when crushed. They have 2 gray stomatal bands on the underside.
Flower detail
No flowers
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
No fruits. Female trees produce red berry-like cones called arils that contain a single seed. Yellow solitary pollen cones on male trees form along the shoots.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Light Brown
Bark detail
The purple-brown bark is smooth on young trees and, with age forms thin irregular scales
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting
Poison severity
High
Poison parts
Leaves; Seeds
Poison symptoms
Symptoms include nervousness, trembling, slow pulse, pupil dilation, seizures, breathing difficulties, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and convulsions, potentially leading to death