How to Treat Yew Diseases? A Complete Guide to Prevention and Control Methods

Yew is the general name for plants of the genus Taxus. It is a globally recognized rare natural anti-cancer plant on the verge of extinction, so how do you treat yew diseases?

1. How to Treat Yew Diseases

First, you need to identify what disease it is, and then use the corresponding treatment. If it is stem rot, disinfect promptly, spray fungicide products, lower the soil temperature, and apply more fertilizer. If it is southern blight, loosen the soil, remove weeds, fertilize, and promptly remove diseased branches, then mix quintozene into yellow subsoil and apply it to the affected yew.

2. What Are the Benefits of Boiling Yew Branches and Leaves in Water to Drink?

Yew has diuretic and swelling-reducing effects, and is used to treat kidney disease, diabetes, nephritic edema, difficult urination, gonorrhea, and more. It warms the kidneys and promotes menstruation, and treats irregular menstruation, but do not steep yew bark, roots, branches, or leaves in water to drink, as it can easily cause poisoning, possibly leading to symptoms such as dizziness, dilated pupils, nausea, vomiting, and muscle weakness, and in severe cases can even lead to death. It is advised not to steep yew leaves in water; this is unscientific and can easily cause poisoning.

3. Uses of Yew

Yew wood has a narrow sapwood that is clearly distinct from the heartwood, with no resin canals or resin cells, an even grain, a fine texture, high hardness, strong rot resistance, and high toughness. It is an excellent material for construction, bridges, furniture, equipment, and more. However, production is low, so it is generally used only for fine woodworking, boat oars, arched products, turned items, carving, musical instruments, and box boards; the seeds can be pressed for oil. The leaves are evergreen and dark green, and the fleshy red aril is quite attractive, so it can be used as a garden tree. Species of this genus are strongly shade-tolerant, grow slowly in natural forests, and are scattered in distribution, and wild trees are becoming fewer. However, because the wood is excellent, it is suitable for afforestation; strengthening tending and management can promote faster growth to produce high-quality timber.

Yew is an ancient relict tree species left over from the Quaternary glaciation, with a history of 2.5 million years on Earth. Because yew grows slowly under natural conditions and has poor regenerative capacity, for a long time no large-scale yew raw material forest base has been established worldwide.