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Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
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Canada yew (Taxus canadensis) is a native species of yew that can be found growing wild in CT in forested areas. The plant is nearly all toxic.
Yew has pointed needle-like leaves that grow in two lateral rows along the branch. The plant produces red arils (berry-like seed coverings) in late summer. The berries can persist on the shrubs until early winter. Yew is the only type of evergreen that produces these red berries.
All parts of the yew plant are deadly poisonous, besides for the flesh of the berry. The seed within the berry is the most poisonous part of the plant.
Yew contains a deadly cardio-depressant called taxine. The toxin can cause the heart to stop within hours of ingestion.
Yew bark is used to make taxol which is used to treat breast and ovarian cancer. Despite the medicinal application, the bark is also considered toxic.
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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.
