How many years does it take for a yew to bear fruit?

The yew is a shallow-rooted plant, with an inconspicuous taproot and well-developed lateral roots. Because under natural conditions the yew grows slowly and has poor regenerative capacity, for a long time no large-scale yew raw material forest base has been established anywhere in the world. So, how many years does it take for a yew to bear fruit?

1. How many years does it take for a yew to bear fruit?

A yew takes 8 to 10 years of planting before it flowers and bears fruit. It is dioecious: male plants only bloom and do not bear fruit, while female plants only bear seeds and do not bloom. Generally, after the male plants bloom in May to June, the nearby female plants will soon produce seeds in the leaf axils, and these seeds will keep growing. The seeds mature in October to November, at which time the fleshy outer seed cup turns from green to yellowish brown.

2. How do you tell male and female yews apart?

1. Difference in fruit

For yews growing in the same environment, if a plant only blooms but does not bear fruit, it is a male yew; conversely, if it bears fruit after the flowering period, it is a female yew. So checking whether fruit is present is the easiest way to distinguish male from female.

2. Difference in flower buds

The flower buds of male yews generally grow on the lower part of the leaves near the stem, and the buds are relatively round and plump with large flowers. The flower buds of female yews grow near the top of the floral axis, and the buds are very small with very pointed tips.

3. Time of bud formation

If you have been growing a plant for more than two years, you can look at the time of bud formation. If it begins forming buds and flower buds every year in July, and only blooms the following March with large buds, then it is definitely a male yew; if the situation is the opposite, then it is a female yew.

4. Difference in leaves

The leaves of male yews are thick and heavy and dark green in color, while the leaves of female yews are relatively shorter, smaller and thinner, and also lighter in color. This identification method applies to both types of plants and allows them to be distinguished fairly well.

The yew is a globally recognized endangered natural rare anti-cancer plant. Its leaves are evergreen and dark green, and its fleshy red aril is quite ornamental, making it suitable for use as a garden tree.