TreeTaxaceae
Common Yew
Taxus baccata
- Habitat
- Ancient woodland, chalk downland, churchyards; extremely long-lived
- IUCN status
- LCLeast Concern
- Max height
- 20 m
Ecological relationships
Eaten by
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusDefends Yew berry crops aggressively in winter, chasing off Blackbirds and Fieldfares. A textbook example of resource-defense behaviour (Snow & Snow 1988). The Yew aril is consumed whole while the toxic seed passes unharmed.
Seeds dispersed by
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusSwallows Yew arils whole, passing the enclosed seed intact. One of the few birds to consume Taxus fruit in significant quantity. A critical dispersal link for a tree with few avian partners.
FieldfareTurdus pilarisFeeds on Yew arils in winter; seeds pass intact through the gut.
Host of
- Yew EndophyteTaxomyces andreanae
Obligate endophyte living within Yew bark and phloem; first organism other than Taxus itself shown to produce taxol (Stierle et al. 1993).