The Garden Magazine, January, 1920 



GOING ON THREE HUNDRED YEARS OLD 



The pair of English Yews that were set out by fair Quaker hands at 

 Haddonfield, N. J. two hundred and seven years ago — Taxus baccata 



217 



pleasing Yew there are varieties aurea and 

 variegata. Altogether fifty or more varieties and 

 forms of the European Yew have received names, 

 and they exhibit the widest possible range of vari- 

 ation in form and general appearance. 



I forbear mention of more in detail, but 1 do 

 wish to emphasize the fact that these distinct 

 forms are of seedling origin, mostly chance finds 

 in a long period cultivation. So if the Japanese 

 Yew be raised from seeds over a long period and 

 in separated localities there will beyond doubt 

 arise just as great variety of forms of it, and these 

 will find a ready welcome in the gardens of all 

 parts of the country where the seasons are as severe 

 as those in New England. For in addition to its 

 beauty as a tree the Yew is indeed one of the very 

 best hedge plants, and variety which will reproduce 

 for America the splendid effects of England's 

 clipped Yews will be enthusiastically received. For 

 the Pacific slope and the mild parts of this country 

 the English Yew and its forms are well suited, 

 but for the colder parts the Japanese Yew is the 

 only really hardy Yew — hence it is to the chance 

 varieties of this that we must look for the garden 

 material so eagerly awaited. 



and best known. A detailed account of this Yew is reserved 

 for an article on upright trees. The Dovaston Yew (var. 

 Dovastonii) is another well-known form and a fine specimen 

 of this grows on the Dana estate, Dosoris, Long Island. 

 This is a tree or wide-spreading shrub with branches arising 

 in whorls and becoming quite pendulous at their extremities. 

 The original tree was planted as a seedling about the year 

 1777, at Westfelton, near Shrewsbury, England, and is a 

 female tree. There is a form of this Yew (aureo-variegata) 

 in which the leaves are variegated with yellow. There is 

 another Weeping Yew (var. pendula) which is a low dense 

 shrub with no definite leader. 



There are several forms of Golden Yew and one is known to 

 have been growing in Staffordshire in 1686. The best known 

 (var. aurea) is male and is a dense shrub or low tree with nar- 

 row sickle-shaped leaves which are variegated with yellow. 

 Another good sort is var. Washingtonii, a low, dense shrub 

 in which the leaves on the young shoots are golden yellow. 

 Of low-growing forms there are several including vars. hori- 

 zontalis, recurvata, and procumbens, sufficiently distin- 

 guished by their names. But another dwarf form which is 

 grown in the Arnold Arboretum under the name of Taxus 

 baccata repandens is worthy of fuller mention. Its origin is 

 unknown and it is remarkable as being the only form of the 

 English Yew which is properly hardy, although it suffered a 

 little during the winter of 191 7-18. It has widesp reading 

 semi-prostrate branches and broad, black-green leaves. 



There are many other forms of the European Yew differing 

 more or less from one another — the Glaucous Yew (var. 

 glauca), for example, the Yellow-fruited Yew (var. fructu- 

 luteo) and several small-leafed Yews of which var. adpressa is 

 very distinct. This variety is a large, spreading bush with 

 densely crowded branchlets having remarkably small, broad 

 leaves not more than a quarter to a half inch long. It is 

 female and originated as a chance seedling in the nurseries of 

 Messrs. Dickson at Chester, England, about 1826. Of this 



ONE OF ENGLAND'S FAMOUS YEWS AT ASHURST, KENT 



Typical form of Taxus baccata which has developed 

 naturally into the characteristic broad, low, sturdy tree 



