English Yew Cell grown 15/30cm x 100 Taxus baccata

Taxus baccata (English Yew) is a dense, evergreen conifer hedge which boasts vibrant green foliage during spring, with small red fruits appearing in the autumn - which, although delightful in appearance and loved by birds, are harmful to humans, pets and livestock. English Yew's compact, needle-like foliage is incredibly easy to trim. Even for inexperienced gardeners, sharp or simple lines are easy to achieve to create a refined, classic hedge shape. However, for anyone who enjoys getting creative with their topiary, English Yew is very popular as Taxus foliage can be trimmed into wonderful shapes - the perfect choice if you are keen to create a statement or feature piece.

English Yew hedging has an average growth rate of around 30 - 40cm per annum and can be easily maintained at a height of 1 - 5m, so it's no wonder that this ever-popular hedging plant is great for bringing privacy to your outdoor area. Once it has reached the desired height, the stylish and elegant Taxus baccata is incredibly low maintenance.

During the first few seasons, English Yew hedging needs a substantial amount of water, but be careful to make sure the soil doesn't become waterlogged - if you have clay, wet soil, we'd advise improving the draining when planting Taxus baccata. Aside from the volume of water, English Yew is wonderfully resilient and easy to grow, adapting well to all soil types, particularly alkaline. It also grows well in shaded areas.

English Yew is a truly versatile hedge - as well as looking stunning as a boundary hedge in gardens of all sizes, Taxus baccata can be an effective filter for external noise, wind and pollution. It can also be used as part of a native garden feature to bring striking texture and winter cover, or to create magnificent topiary shapes. We stock a vast array of eye-catching topiary plants, including Taxus baccata topiary balls or cones and pyramids. Its fine, densely-needled habit lends itself perfectly to clipping into shapes, making English Yew as popular for household gardens as it is for castles and stately homes.

If you're looking for a dense, evergreen hedge on a lower budget, Lonicera nitida is a lovely alternative, as is the lower-growing Buxus sempervirens (box hedge). Western Red Cedar is also a good alternative to English Yew as it's a fast-growing conifer hedge plant that is similarly low maintenance.