Taxus baccata

Origin: Europe, North Africa, Iran

Botanical characteristics: It is a slow-growing evergreen conifer, broadly conical with horizontal expanded branches. It has a reddish-brown scaly bark with green shoots. Leaves are distichous, linear, acute, shiny, dark green and lighter beneath, 2-3 cm long. It is a dioecious plant with male and female inflorescences on separated plants. In spring the male plant bears yellow flowers, full of pollen, while the female one bears false fruits (arils) from September to October. Fruits are fleshy, red, juicy and sweet, with black poisonous seeds.

Agronomic and environmental characteristics: It is spontaneous but rare in the beech wood of the Alps and Apennines. It is commonly cultivated throughout the peninsula, on any fertile, well-drained, preferably chalky soil, both in full sun and full shadow. It has an high resistance to drought and air pollution.

Use: It is ideal for formal hedges and topiary. Moreover, it is used in parks and gardens as single specimen, in groups, for groves. It is excellent for urban green areas. It is the typical species of Italian garden used for hedges, fifth, topiary.