Taxus Baccata Repandens Yew

Taxus Baccata Repandens is an RHS AGM winning prostrate evergreen conifer with dark green foliage and cheerful red berries in autumn and winter. It’s a good choice for low maintenance gardens, slopes, ground cover and soil protection.

Taxus Baccata is the Common or English yew and one of the three native yews to the UK. This repandens cultivar is bred to retain its hardy origins but introduces a lovely low growing spreading habit to its branches.

Taxus Baccata Repandens is better known as Yew Repandens and it’s one of the best choices for evergreen ground cover in difficult soil. It’s a low growing prostrate variety with long spreading branches that droop at the tip. Its narrow dark green foliage is set off by its yellow springtime flowers and, because this is a female bush, it produces bright red berries in winter.

This is an excellent ground cover that does well in sun or partial shade and requires little to no maintenance.

Height And Spread of Taxus Baccata Repandens
Taxus Baccata Repandens is a prostrate cultivar that reaches around half a metre in height but spreads over 3 metres in 20-50 years.

How Hardy Is Taxus Baccata Repandens
This is a very hardy evergreen thanks to its native origins. The RHS categorise it as H7 which is their hardiest level capable of surviving minus 20 and the severest European continental climates if its roots are well-drained. It is also pollution tolerant, copes with drought, and coastal sprays.

How To Use Taxus Baccata Repandens
Yew Repandens is most often used as evergreen mat-forming ground cover. It will happily grow on a slope, in a polluted front garden, and face coastal sprays whilst protecting soil against erosion.
Aesthetically it’s a good choice for rock gardens, gravel gardens, rockeries, and large wildlife-friendly borders. Mix it will other hardy yews such as Yew Summergold to create a cheerful splash of yellow, green and silver tones throughout the year.

How To Care For Taxus Baccata Repandens
Yew Repandens needs little to no attention once it’s established.
It will grow in full sun, partial shade, or full shade in sheltered or exposed spots. One of its most useful aspects is its ability to grow in a range of well-drained soils including chalk, clay and acidic gardens.
Pruning isn’t necessary, but if you want to control its height and spread trim it back in late summer or early autumn. Alternatively, wait for the red berries to finish before trimming.
Water well until established and apply a thick layer of organic mulch in early spring for the best show of red berries.