Great Design Plant: Taxus x Media ‘Hicksii’
Need a strong, silent type in your garden? Hicks yew may be your perfect match
Jay Sifford
April 14, 2015
Spring brings out our impulsiveness. After a long, cold, dreary winter, the brightly colored frilly plants that earn their spot on center stage at the garden center flirt with us as we yearn for longer, warmer spring days. It is now that the darker green utilitarian plants take a backseat to the new and sensational.
The truth is that without these workhorses of structure, the frilly and fleeting annuals and perennials wouldn’t shine nearly as brightly. And sometimes we need a columnar plant to juxtapose a horizontal composition. Meet Hicks yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’).
The truth is that without these workhorses of structure, the frilly and fleeting annuals and perennials wouldn’t shine nearly as brightly. And sometimes we need a columnar plant to juxtapose a horizontal composition. Meet Hicks yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’).
Botanical name: Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’
Common name: Hicks yew
Origin: Hybrid of Japanese yew and English yew
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 7; find your zone)
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Water requirement: Average, well-drained soil
Mature size: Up to 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Tolerant of pollution and salt air, so it’s a good choice for coastal areas; tolerant of partial shade; performs better than most conifers when sheared into a hedge; can be prone to deer damage in some areas; more insect resistant than popular arborvitae
Seasonal interest: Its consistent dark green color provides a good backdrop for other plants with seasonal interest.
When to plant: Spring or fall
Common name: Hicks yew
Origin: Hybrid of Japanese yew and English yew
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 7; find your zone)
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Water requirement: Average, well-drained soil
Mature size: Up to 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Tolerant of pollution and salt air, so it’s a good choice for coastal areas; tolerant of partial shade; performs better than most conifers when sheared into a hedge; can be prone to deer damage in some areas; more insect resistant than popular arborvitae
Seasonal interest: Its consistent dark green color provides a good backdrop for other plants with seasonal interest.
When to plant: Spring or fall
Distinguishing traits. Hicks yew is a columnar evergreen that requires no pruning to maintain a compact, tidy shape.
How to use it. Traditionally, upright yews, such as Hicks, were planted in hedgerows and pruned into boxes, making effective walls for garden rooms. Its tight, columnar shape makes Hicks a perfect choice for defining paths between garden rooms and for planting next to porch columns to mimic the shape and make a meaningful connection between house and garden.
Shown: Hicks yew in the middle ground with Bonica roses and Green Velvet boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Velvet)
Shown: Hicks yew in the middle ground with Bonica roses and Green Velvet boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Velvet)
Yew hedges are finding their well-deserved place in contemporary gardens as well. Here, Hicks yew forms a backdrop to show off the seasonal color of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum, zones 4 to 9). This contrast in styles adds another layer of interest.
Hicks yew is also useful as a container plant. Its structural form and dark green color allow flashier annuals to stand out.
Planting notes. Plant Hicks yew in average, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. To create a hedge, space plants 6 feet on center.
More: Designing With Conifers: Finding the Right Garden Bedmates
Planting notes. Plant Hicks yew in average, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. To create a hedge, space plants 6 feet on center.
More: Designing With Conifers: Finding the Right Garden Bedmates
At Traditional Hardwood Floors, our mission is to provide our clients with the highest quality and variety of... Read More
What are you working on?
Related Products
We at Frasure Home Improvements feel like everyone deserves our best. We constantly push for excellence. We truly... Read More
Related Stories
Landscape Design
What Will We Want in Our Landscapes in 2024?
Discover seven trends that landscape designers predict homeowners will be bringing into their outdoor spaces this year
Full Story
Spring Gardening
8 Tips to Get Your Early-Spring Garden Ready for the Season
Find out how to salvage plants, when to cut back damaged branches, when to mulch and more
Full Story
Winter Gardening
How to Prune Your Fruit Trees in Winter
Garden chores may slow down this season, but pruning your fruit trees now means healthier plants that will produce more
Full Story
Winter Gardening
Get a Head Start on Planning Your Garden Even if It’s Snowing
Reviewing what you grew last year now will pay off when it’s time to head outside
Full Story
Landscape Design
Pros Share Their Top Plant Picks for a Low-Maintenance Yard
Landscape pros weigh in on the plants they’d use — and ones they’d avoid — to create an easy-care garden
Full Story
Landscape Design
10 Tips for Planting a Beautiful, Low-Maintenance Landscape
Landscape pros share their advice for planning a garden that’s easy to care for
Full Story
Gardening Guides
12 Gardening Ideas You Can Count as Resolutions
See how to set up your outdoor areas for more enjoyment next year and make them a bit more earth-friendly in the process
Full Story
Holidays
Last-Minute Ideas for Attractive Winter Container Designs
Create a welcoming holiday entryway with ideas from these 9 looks
Full Story
Winter Gardening
8 Tips for Keeping Your Houseplants Healthy in Winter
Reduce watering, stop fertilizing, move them into the light and more
Full Story
Fall Gardening
7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden
Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax
Full Story
After a harsh winter, ours suffered tremendously (as did others I've witnessed in this zone). I hope ours recovers because this is a slow growing plant that is expensive to replace. I highly recommend wrapping in burlap for winter if you live in a cold climate. In comparison, boxwood does wonderfully and is bullet proof in my garden, making it one of my all time favourites for all season interest (yes, I'm in Canada).
I certainly would walk right past this yew in a nursery -- thinking it would be a mntc nightmare. I love when you spotlight something interesting like this! I agree in allowing a plant/shrub/tree to follow its normal growth.
You have taught me to look at certain evergreens as a backdrop.....a layer to enhance what I plant in the foreground. Love those dark greens! I am now faced with adding some type of evergreen/conifer along a property line. I want to add the vertical structure, of course, yet I also need to semi-block the neighbor's collection of large trash cans without blocking the southern sun exposure to my own gardens. This yew is now on my list to consider. It may be too robust in girth over the long term (oh wait --- that's me!).
I have started several Hicks yews from cuttings, but they do take a very long time to grow when started that way. However, yews can be killed if watered too much. We often have hot, dry summers in Kansas, so I kept watering and watered more when the yews started turning yellow. Then I found out that they don't like having their roots in water---after they were dead.