Yew Evergreen Shrubs

English Yew

• Extremes of heat and cold damage English yew (Taxus baccata) and stunt its growth. This evergreen yew can take the form of a large shrub or small- to medium-sized tree, with some specimens attaining heights of 50 feet. Cultivars such as Repandens and Amersfoort are shrub forms that remain small enough for use in rock gardens, as foundation plants and as an understory species along woodland edges. English yew is native to North Africa and southern areas of Europe. In North America, English yew survives when planted in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 5 through 7. English yew grows in shady and sunny locations, but keep it out of exposed, windy sites, warns the University of Connecticut Plant Database.

Japanese Yew

• When in shrub form, the evergreen Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidate) will possess many stems, notes the Missouri Botanical Garden. Japanese yew's needles are up to 1 inch long and are straight or curved. The foliage has a dull green color and in winter, some of it will turn a yellowish brown. Japanese yew cultivars include shrubs such as Aurescens and Nana. The species originates from Korea, Japan and Manchuria, with a cold hardiness that permits landscapers to use it between USDA zones 4 and 7. Japanese yew works well in urban areas because it withstands pollution. This particular yew also grows well in the shade.

Canadian Yew

• Canadian yew (Taxus canadensis) does not grow close to tree size, remaining between 3 and 6 feet high. Used in colder regions, this species of evergreen shrub can withstand the frigid conditions in northern locales in USDA zone 2. Canadian yew has dark-green needles and the female plants produce seeds resembling red berries. Canadian yew tolerates extensive pruning. Landscapers place it next to buildings as a foundation plant or in rock gardens as a ground cover. Canadian yew fares poorly in hot climates and in the winter, its evergreen foliage sometimes takes on a reddish appearance.