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Yews -- taxus cuspidata vs. media

15 years ago

I love the big, rambling old yews that I see among the older homes in my neighborhood. Some are humungous and sprawling -- like 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide.

I know it could take forever, but I do have a large property and I would like to grow some yews that will get big and sprawling (natural look -- not tidy).

Most nurseries in my area (west burbs of Chicago) only offer a few varieties of taxus media (taunton and densiformus, and hicks ...) the tag on the densiformus says it only gets 3 - 5 feet high. A guy at the nursery said they can get huge but that no one would want them if they knew that ... so the tags indicate the smaller (attainable thru regular pruning) sizes. Well, I have some densiformus and they seem pretty restrained to me -- but they're in part shade and only about 5 years old.

Isn't what I really want a cuspidata? One nursery has a "pyramidal" form of it, but I cannot find a sprawler.

Help me out yew experts -- should I go with a densiformus? (in the deep shade) or hold out for a cuspidata? What else do I need to know before I purchase? Why aren't cuspidata more available in local nurseries?

Thanks for all of your expertise, this forum has been very helpful of late.

Shadey

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
know that yews are conifers.. i think we covered that before..

all conifers have an annual growth rate ...

and they will grow at that growth rate for your entire life.. since they can be extremely long lived plants ...

and know that all height estimates are at 10 years.. and they continue at the annual growth rate .. as noted above.. forever ...

as to your nurserymans opinion as to why the labels are formatted as such.. i like it.. lol.. never thought of it that way ...

never prune a conifer as you would prune a shrub ....

if you are really hyped on a specific plant.. find a grafter or propagator of such [i dont know which for yew] .. and get some wood off the trees you love .. and have them propagate the exact plant you want ....

and.. get ye to an arboretum.. or riches foxwillow outside chi town .. and see some conifers in person .... you seem to be fixated on yews .... and there are so many others out there.. that will give you the same look ... and rich light know who can propagate it for you ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: woodstock IL
shadey
Original Author
15 years ago
Ken,

I will certainly check out the place in Woodstock, it looks very interesting.

I'm not really obsessed w/ yews ... but I have a few tough spots that have pretty heavy shade and it seems like most conifers need more sun -- but I am learning all the time.

Thanks for the tips.

Shadey
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Sam, that's a nice specimen, I hope it will keep this dwarf growth. It doesn't say noting that you don't have a Taxus cuspidata in the collection. Birds are eating berries from differend locations from which the seeds can be dropped miles furthur up. But the needles of your specimen are not Taxus cuspidata, they're Taxus x media. It's probably a seedling of Taxus x media 'Hicksii'...
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when you use electric clippers it cut the tiny green parts whose edges turn brown, and you see the white stem cuts. If you use hand pruners, you can cut the wayward/tall stems without the shrub looking awful all summer. I admit this takes a long time, but what is your goal? The round balls (yews or junipers) are out of fashion right now. as yews become too big you can cut them down and they will re sprout. Junipers will NOT re sprout. The other problem is with an evergreen hedge-if one dies- you are left with a gap and 2 bushes on each side with no green growth. Yews are more tolerant of shade. But don't forget I'm in zone 5 and things may be better in zone 7.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
send me a buck.. if you go to rich's .. and your toes tingle..

it will be the most splendid couple hours you have ever spent in a garden ....

call ahead.. and ask if rich will be available .... or to ask who might help you ....

you will pay more at a place like this.. but you will have toes a tingling ... and a memory to last a lifetime ...

take lots of pix ... i wish it were in my 'hood ..... if digital.. snap a pic of the label.. then the plant.. for easy id later ....

and then learn how to post them at the conifer forum .... PLEASE!!!!

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