Eventual mature size of Yew

15 years ago

I'm looking for some local feedback, I just planted 2 Irish Yews (Taxus baccata 'stricta' or fastigiata) and 1 Hatfield yew. I was told by the nurseryman that they both will grow (slowly) in relatively dry and shady conditions. He said the Irish Yews mature size would be around 10' tall and 18" wide and the Hatfield Yew would be 8'-10' tall and 4' wide.

I'm really curious to know what size they will likely grow to. When I looked them up online, I get all different mature sizes, none of which resemble what the nurseryman told me. For the Hatfield I've seen it listed at 20' tall and the Irish Yew comes up at 6' around!

I've planted them near or under some big old Maples (Sugar and Norway), all are near fences (well protected) and some dappled light in the summer with a bit of afternoon sun. When the leaves are off the trees, full sun.

Any feedback would be most appreciated, thanks.

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Comments (9)

pineresin
15 years ago
Irish Yew isn't hardy in zone 6. I've seen it killed in a severe winter in zone 7. Where hardy (zones 8-9), it can however grow up to 18m tall.

Resin
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
link below .... check out the second picture/link ... yikes

flip back to the web side for websites ... and zone info ...

find the annual growth rate .. and presume it will grow that amount.. every year for the rest of your life...

height estimates are usually at ten years.. and they will continue at the annual growth rate forever ...

google the American Conifer society website... and use the database to find the ones you want info on ... probably using the cultivar name ....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
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ellamay
Original Author
15 years ago
Just got off the phone with my local nursery where I got them, they say those were field grown right here, they must be hardy.
Embothrium
15 years ago
If not hardy there it's an academic point for you but as indicated already Irish yew is a tree, eventually much larger than what the nursery called a mature size. When talking to people trying to sell you plants keep in mind that they are often afraid of scaring you off, may then tend to understate growth potential. What, exactly constitutes a mature size needs to be defined before you can be sure you understand what was intended. Some seem to think the 10 or 20 year size is the mature size. This is not nearly the full normal span of a tree or even many shrubs. Ultimate size is a different concept.

Another factor is variation in results between sites (including cultivation regimes) and climates. At any rate with a yew growth is so slow you are not going to be overwhelmed, and could instead get tired of waiting for one to gain some height. And yews lend themselves to pruning.
honymand
15 years ago
It is a tree, yes, but not a very big tree. I'd say it will grow to a maximum of 10m in height, and depending on growth conditions this would probably take 50 years or more...

10' as the maximum height is probably to low for the species, but I don't know 'stricta' that well.

/Hans Olav
Embothrium
15 years ago
Here's how Jacobson, TREES OF SEATTLE - SECOND EDITION describes its growth in this part of Zone 8:

Old specimens can flop and splay at the top. The largest recorded are over 63 1/2' x 10 3/4' but it tends to be very slow-growing and is often no more then a bush...Irish yews are common here, mostly as bushes 10-20' tall rather than obvious trees
Embothrium
15 years ago
With trees and shrubs something may grow for 30 years and then freeze and die. If the nursery has not grown these during a period when there was a killer winter there then they have not, in fact been shown by them to be hardy. A better indicator would be numbers of larger, older examples in your district.
karinl
15 years ago
The reality is that on most urban or suburban properties, woody plants, or all plants really, have a life span. Either you or a future home-owner will eventually remove the plant, either for reasons of changing taste, or alternate plans for the space. If death occurs naturally due to a killer winter or other changing conditions, the change may not be so voluntary but it will still happen. I don't see anything wrong with planting something that will ultimately get too big but will be an enjoyable enhancement to the property for a good number of years.

KarinL
Embothrium
15 years ago
Assuming the next killer winter doesn't come right away. And you don't mind having that ax hanging over the plant the whole time it is there. Which could instead be a fairly long time, after which it dies and leaves a big hole in your planting. And you have to start over again, having lost all the years of development of a substantial specimen that occurred up to that point.

There are reasons why garden center shoppers want to be told a plant is hardy in their area. Nowadays you can easily drop 50 bucks on a somewhat large common kind of shrub.

Eventual mature size of Yew

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pineresin

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Eventual mature size of Yew

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