(10) YEW TREE

The YEW TREE (Taxus baccata, L.) attains its full perfection in this its native country; but on account of its slow growth it cannot be recommended to the planter, whose main object is profit.






Recommended Resources

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees

by David More and Joan White

"Years ago, artist David More set himself the task of observing and meticulously painting the trees found in Britain, France, Germany and the Low Countries - common or rare, native or introduced, growing wild or cultivated in arboreta, parks, and gardens. Deciduous trees were painted in the dead of winter as well as in full leaf; and precise details of leaves or needles, bark, blossoms, fruit, nuts and cones. This enormous undertaking took years of study, travel, sketching, painting, and repainting until he was satisfied with each leaf on each page. The result is this extraordinary book."

"Nearly two thousand species and cultivars are shown. John White's accompanying text describes the native range of each species, the date of its introduction into cultivation, and other key facts. A surprising characteristic of the paintings is that all of the trees illustrated are "imperfect" to a greater or lesser extent - individual, asymmetric, even damaged by insects, people, weather, or time. Hence the reactions to the paintings from arborists and dendrologists: "You can see he has not invented them. They are all real trees.""

"The trees to be found in British and European towns and gardens are mostly to be found in North America as well - not surprising, as so many trees cultivated in Europe are either American natives or have been introduced here too. Thus, this magnum opus will prove as useful and inspiring in the Western Hemisphere as in the lands of its origin."

This revised and lengthened Second Edition has not only many improvements to details of paintings and texts throughout, but on pages 776-803 are included some 90 important or conspicuous trees of southern regions - in Europe, the Mediterranean - not covered in the first edition. The end section on shoots and buds has also been extended to include leaf-shapes.

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