The Mystery of the Yew Tree 

Did you know that Yew trees can reach 400 – 600 years of age and there are around ten Yew trees in Britain (such as the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire and the Llangernyw Yew in Clwyd) which are believed to be thousands of years old?  It’s a difficult tree to age because the trunk and boughs hollow with age, so there are no rings to count in the oldest wood.  Despite this hollowing, the dark foliage usually seems to thrive and the Yew also produces a red berry in the growing season.  It’s rare to see disease getting into the bough splits in a Yew which might explain why it seems to do well when other species falter.

Most of the Yew is toxic and the berries should not be eaten.

Jody and Andrew undertaking a respectful reduction to this majestic old Yew in North Waltham recently.

We often see old Yews in or near churchyards  and it made us wonder which came first – the church or the tree?  Given the advanced age of so many Yews, it’s clear that they must have been planted before many of the churches were built.  There are likely to have been ancient spiritual or meeting places on the site before the churches arrived, though, as the Yew tree has long been a symbol to some ancient religions, representative of the transcendence of death, or perhaps passage into the next life.

And our role as tree surgeons?  Because of their importance as historical trees in the landscape, work to Yews often requires permission from the Local Planning Authority.  Our job is to balance the needs of the customer and environment, with the careful pruning to preserve these wonderful, mysterious old trees for the future.

Do you have an old Yew tree that requires work?  Call Andrew on 01256 817369 or 07771 883061 for advice on TPOs, the planning process, and a quote to complete the work.