AT A GLANCE
Is there a yew tree without berries?
The male cultivar 'Hillii' is considered a yew without berries and is ideal for families with children. The evergreen, hardy variety has shiny, dark green needles and reaches a height of up to 500 centimeters and a width of up to 300 centimeters.
Which yew tree has no berries?
The male cultivar 'Hillii' is currently the only yew variety that does not bear any poisonous red fruits that could tempt curious children to nibble. Like all yews, 'Hillii' is evergreen and has attractive, shiny, dark green needles. The variety belongs to the hydrid or cup yew Taxus media, which is considered to be robust and extremely hardy.
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'Hillii' feels particularly comfortable in a sunny to shady position Location with nutrient-rich and rather moist soil. Like all yew trees, this variety also grows very slowly and gains an average of 40 to 60 centimeters in height in the first five years. When fully grown, 'Hillii' can grow up to 500 centimeters high and 300 centimeters wide.
How is the non-fruiting yew used?
The non-fruiting 'Hillii' can be used in many ways:
- as a border, e.g. B. of beds or lawns
- as a companion
- as privacy hedge
- as a low hedge
- for pure yew hedge
- for mixed hedges
- as a solitaire, e.g. B. for one topiary
- as a container plant
'Hillii' naturally has an upright, cone-shaped habit and often has multiple shoots. In addition, the hedge plant grows very densely, with many branches and therefore forms a good privacy screen over time.
Consider using 'Hillii' as container plant plant them in a planter that is as deep as it is wide and has a volume of at least 30 litres.
What do I have to pay attention to when caring for non-fruiting yew trees?
The male counterpart to the fruiting Taxus media 'Hicksii' is planted in exactly the same way and groomed like all other types of yew. Make sure that the freshly planted yew trees are always adequately supplied with water and nutrients for the first two years, this is how you can do it accelerate growth.
However, there must be no waterlogging, as this in turn leads to root rot and thus to the loss of the plant. A loose, permeable soil and good drainage are therefore essential. It is also typical of yew hedges that you do not plant the slow-growing plants every year cut must.
How poisonous are yew fruits?
All plant parts of the yew are potential deadly poisonous. They contain the heart-active taxine, which can cause severe poisoning even in small doses. The needles and seeds are particularly poisonous, although the surrounding pulp is the only plant component that is non-toxic.
This also explains why birds like it so much yew fruits eat – they swallow the berries whole and later excrete the highly toxic seeds undamaged. The pulp is also harmless to humans, but as soon as the inner seed is injured, the dangerous poison escapes. Therefore, the berries should not be eaten.
Tip
Do not cut young yews too early
No matter what type of yew it is: young, freshly planted yew trees should not be cut for the first two to three years. In this way, the plants put more energy into root growth, which in turn benefits their robustness and health. The best time for pruning is late summer. early autumn.
