What are the prospects for yew cultivation? Latest analysis

The yew is a plant left over from the Tertiary Period, known as a “living fossil” in the plant kingdom. Because its resources are scarce, it is listed as a rare tree species in the world and protected. The medicinal value of the yew is mainly reflected in its extract—a secondary metabolic derivative—taxol. Taxol was first isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) as an anti-tumor active ingredient, and it has very high cultivation value. Let us take a look below at the cultivation prospects of the yew!

Cultivation prospects of the yew

1. The yew combines medicinal, timber and ornamental uses, and has extremely high development and utilization value. Taxol extracted from yew bark, branches and leaves is a globally recognized anti-cancer drug, with a price of 5 to 10 million USD per kilogram.

2. Taxol is used to treat advanced breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, head and neck cancer, soft tissue cancer and digestive tract cancer.

3. Yew branches and leaves are used to treat leukemia, nephritis, diabetes and polycystic kidney disease.

4. Natural yew resources are scarce and medicinal sources are in short supply, so extensive research and development is being carried out in various places.

The yew is a treasure from head to toe, so the yew tree is also called the “golden tree”, and its cultivation prospects are promising. Places with suitable conditions can develop it appropriately.

Cultivation value of the yew

1. The yew has irreplaceable medicinal value: from the international market perspective, taxol products have maintained a 20% growth rate. At present, the global trade volume of taxol has remained above 1.5 billion USD. After entering the 21st century, about 1,500-2,500 kg of taxol is consumed each year, and the United States alone needs to consume about 300 kg. Yet the United States can only produce about 50 kg; from the domestic market perspective, although China’s taxol stock solution output is about 50 kg, only a very small part is used for domestic patients, with most exported to Europe, the United States and Japan. China’s taxol demand is conservatively estimated at more than 1,000 kg per year. The current sources of raw materials and taxol pharmaceutical products are still far from meeting the needs of the domestic market. Therefore, under China’s policy of continuously expanding domestic demand, the production of taxol and the construction of yew bases within China alone contain huge market prospects.

2. Greening: the yew has a very developed root system and can be widely used to build soil and water conservation forests and water source conservation forests. It is a preferred seedling for national key ecological construction projects.

3. Horticulture: through artificial pruning, the yew’s tree shape can be turned into various artistic shapes such as round, umbrella-shaped and tower-shaped, and it is widely planted on both sides of roads, in courtyards, parks and around buildings.

4. Indoor bonsai: the yew’s unique air-purifying function has a clear effect on improving air quality.

Differences among common yew species

1. Korean yew: leaves are long and pointed, light in color; trunk is whitish; seeds are black-red, slightly triangular, pointed at the front and small at the rear.

2. Southern yew (Taxus wallichiana var. mairei): leaves are wide and long, dark in color; grows fast; can adapt to a minimum of 15 degrees C; seeds are light-colored, greenish, flat and round, with a large, even rear.

3. Northern yew: leaves are narrow and short, darker in color; seeds are reddish, round with a pointed head, and the rear is the smallest.