Hicks yew

Sun

Full sun to full shade; growth is usually denser in sun or partial shade.

Water

Moderate while establishing; water established plants during prolonged dry spells. Avoid persistently wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained loam, sandy loam or clay improved for drainage; tolerates acidic to alkaline conditions.

Height

12-20 ft (3.7-6.1 m) if left unpruned

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m) with age

Foliage

Evergreen. Flat, soft-looking, dark green needles on upright branches. This female cultivar can develop red, fleshy seed coverings called arils if a compatible male yew grows nearby.

Growth

Slow to moderate, commonly 6-12 in (15-30 cm) a year once established.

Care needed

Medium

• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.9 ft (0.59 m)

2. After 1 year

   4 ft (1.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   6 ft (1.9 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.6 m)

5. After 5 years

   13 ft (3.9 m)

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Slow

• Water deeply during the first two growing seasons whenever the root zone begins to dry.
• Plant with the root flare at soil level; choose a different site or a broad raised bed if drainage is poor.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak and soil fertility is low.
• Protect young plants from deer and from drying winter winds in exposed, cold gardens.

Pruning. Clip hedges in late spring after the first flush of growth, with a light second trim in midsummer if needed; keep the base wider than the top. Do major reduction or renovation in late winter or early spring: yew can regrow from old wood, but recovery may take several seasons.

Late winter

Remove damaged branches and carry out any major size reduction before new growth starts.

Spring

Plant where soil drains freely, refresh mulch and check that winter protection is not rubbing the foliage.

Late spring

Clip hedges after the first flush of growth, checking carefully for active bird nests before cutting.

Summer

Water young plants during dry weather and inspect yellowing or sticky foliage for pests.

Midsummer

Give formal hedges a light finishing trim if necessary; avoid heavy cutting late in the growing season.

Late autumn

Water before the ground freezes if autumn has been dry, and install deer protection where needed.

• Clip into a tall, narrow hedge to divide garden rooms or screen neighbouring windows.
• Plant as paired upright accents beside an entrance, allowing room for their eventual width.
• Use as a dark evergreen backdrop for pale hydrangeas, ferns and shade-tolerant perennials.
• Repeat along a formal path or boundary to provide structure through winter.

Garden styles it suits: Formal, Traditional, Topiary garden, Woodland, Winter interest and English manor.

Plant it with: Hostas, Japanese painted ferns, Hellebores, Bigleaf hydrangeas, Brunnera and Japanese forest grass.

Wildlife: Dense branches provide shelter and potential nesting sites for birds. Birds eat the red arils and can disperse the seeds. Deer may browse the foliage despite its toxicity.

• Root rot and waterlogging: yellowing, wilting and dieback can follow saturated soil. Improve drainage before planting; badly affected plants may need removal.
• Vine weevil: adults notch needle edges and larvae damage roots, especially in containers. Use suitable beneficial nematodes when soil temperatures allow.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and needles if growth weakens or sticky honeydew appears. Prune small infestations and use a locally approved horticultural oil according to its label.
• Deer browsing and winter scorch: protect plants with deer-resistant fencing, water during dry autumn weather and shelter exposed plants from drying winds.

Highly toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses if swallowed; poisoning can be fatal. Needles, shoots, bark and seeds contain dangerous toxins, and dried clippings remain poisonous. The red fleshy aril itself is not toxic, but the seed inside is highly toxic: do not eat it or allow children or animals access to clippings.

• Irish yew (Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata')

  Usually forms a tighter, more rigid column, with needles arranged around strongly upright shoots. Hicks yew tends to broaden more with age; young nursery plants can be difficult to distinguish without a label.

• Japanese plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia)

  Has noticeably longer needles with conspicuous pale bands underneath and bears larger, plum-like seeds rather than yew's red, cup-shaped arils.

The hybrid name 'media' means 'intermediate', referring to its origin between English yew and Japanese yew.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or early autumn and root them in a sheltered propagator; rooting can be slow. Seed does not reliably reproduce 'Hicksii'.

Accepted botanical name

Taxus media

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.