In the UK the Yew is one of only three native conifers, along with juniper and Scots Pine. There are seven species of yews in the Northern Hemisphere. The yew natural to the UK, with the Latin name of Taxus baccata , is native to Europe including the Atlas Mountains and from Asia Minor to Iran. The leaves and seeds of yew contain alkaloids which are very poisonous to stock and in enclosed fields the trees are cut out. On open downs animals appear to avoid eating it and in the past yew has been left for shelter on exposed downs.
Yews are a symbol of immortality.
Ancient peoples were in the habit of planting yew trees as acts of sanctification near to where they expected to be buried. The foliage of yew is poisonous to farm stock, even its dead foliage is dangerous. As an evergreen, yew is also planted for hedges within gardens but its poisonous nature makes it highly unsuitable as hedging for field boundaries. Getting a young yew for your parish Yews for the Millennium is a project created by the Conservation Foundation to provide every parish in the country at the Millennium with a young yew tree propagated from an ancient yew estimated to be at least 2,000 years old. Contact the Foundation if you wish to have a tree.