Chinese Yew seed taxus chinensis
LATIN NAME: TAXUS CHINENSIS
COMMON NAME: Chinese Yew
The Chinese yew jewels the dark, evergreen branches with the small, scarlet, fleshy cups that hold the hard seeds through the autumn, the soft, dark-green needles lining the twigs, and the whole tree carrying the ancient, sombre look of the great yews. The red arils stand out against the dark foliage, the bark flakes in the thin, reddish-brown plates, and the tree grows slowly into the dense, long-lived tree of the mountain forests. The wood is hard and fine, and the bark has been studied for the medicinal chemistry for the ages. It likes the shade or the part shade, and the deep, moist, well-drained soil.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The yews hold a recognised place in the conifer conservation and the pharmaceutical research alike, and the Chinese yew appears in the studies of the taxane compounds in the bark. The chemists have studied the medicinal chemistry closely, while the conservationists protect the slow-growing stands that cannot replace themselves quickly. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the collectors of the ancient, characterful conifers keep the species in their catalogues.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the shaded garden, the Chinese yew brings the ancient, settled presence. The dark, evergreen foliage holds the structure through the year, the scarlet arils stand out in the autumn and feed the birds that scatter the seeds, and the fine, hard wood has served the carving and the furniture. The bark has been studied for the medicine. Slow-growing, patient and long-lived.
The Chinese yew seeds germinate slowly but surely in a coarse, sandy mix kept moist in the shaded spot. The seedlings rise with the soft, dark needles, and they grow on at their own patient pace. Keep them in the deep pots with the good drainage, and give them the shade and the deep, moist, well-drained ground. They resent the wet feet, so keep the mix on the drier side. The red arils come with the years.
To grow the Chinese yew from seed, sow the small, hard seeds singly into the deep pot of coarse, sandy mix, then cover them lightly, keep the pot in the bright, shaded spot and water gently. The seedlings show themselves within a few weeks, and they grow on slowly. Keep the young trees in the shaded, moist ground, and the red arils will jewel the branches over the years.
