This last June, while en route back to California from a trip to Iceland, my wife and I stopped in Windsor, England. We stayed in a hotel right across the street from Windsor Castle. There was a church nearby and I said to my wife, "The Brits usually plant yew trees in churchyards. Let's go over there and see if there are some. Well, there were two large yew trees. I'm a bowyer and have an intense interest in yews. The very first yew tree I ever saw was at the Alhambra in Spain. It has berries since it was autumn. That was 3 years ago and I've seen many since then, including in California (taxus brevifolia.) I don't harvest yew unless I can do it legally and they're protected here too. I found a grove of yew a few months ago in a national forest a few hours away. I learned that I can harvest some with a permit so I will do that in the spring. I love yew trees!
Anaga, I tried, once. During a visit to Europe a few years ago, I ate all the yew berries I could (pretty tasty) and saved many of the seeds. They're obviously taxus baccata and they're mostly from Germany and Austria. I planted a few of them in a mixture of potting soil and sharp sand which I read was good. I watered them a few times each week for over a year and never had anything sprout! I finally decided it was a totally failed experiment! I'd read that they have a high failure rate and that it can take a long time to get them to sprout. That's why I persisted for so long. I still have many seeds so I'll try again but I'll give up sooner. You should do fine planting cuttings and I've done that. However, even if you're 20 years old, I would not expect to get harvestable bow wood in my life time. It's just too slow growing.To grow your own bow wood, I'd recommend Osage orange. Good luck!
@@christraub3889 Thank you for the advice. From what others have told me, yew is really finicky. They need both a period of cold and warmth to germinate. Might be fun as an experiment but we'll see. Cuttings would be good too, but I'm stateside for maybe pacific yew might be my best bet. If I can't use them, I think it'd be cool for others to enjoy at least for posterity's sake. Thankfully, I have some osage and hickory near by, so I'll be able to get some good wood in the near future. Thanks again, and I'll be sure to not swallow any seeds lol 😂
Me and my sister sent many happy times climbing in the Yew trees either side of the garden gate at our grandmother's. They were nice and tall and created an arch at the entrance to her front lawn. Beautiful memories.
What a fascinating TH-cam channel to stumble across. Only 61 subscribers ? The problem with yew preservation in places like churchyards in particular. Is that no one considered the maturity of these trees when planting. The churches themselves were probably expected to far outlive the churches but so many churches have been demolished or fallen to ruin in our lifetimes. If the roots of a yew start disturbing a building or even a bunch of graves, what do you do?
I saw some huge yew trees near the Santa Sophia in Turkey two years ago. I suspected that they went back to the age of Constantine who carried on the British tradition of planting them at sacred sites. Does anyone know?
It's seven years but... The planting of trees in churchyards in Britain and Ireland is copied from the Mediterranean practice of placing evergreens around burial grounds.
At last a little reminder to think and consult you church wardens. Not naming names but the countless yews I have visited and had my trip spoiled by mis - management. They are a enhancement of a place of belief with hundreds even thousands of years history. Not a rubbish dump and decapitation point.
This last June, while en route back to California from a trip to Iceland, my wife and I stopped in Windsor, England. We stayed in a hotel right across the street from Windsor Castle. There was a church nearby and I said to my wife, "The Brits usually plant yew trees in churchyards. Let's go over there and see if there are some. Well, there were two large yew trees. I'm a bowyer and have an intense interest in yews. The very first yew tree I ever saw was at the Alhambra in Spain. It has berries since it was autumn. That was 3 years ago and I've seen many since then, including in California (taxus brevifolia.) I don't harvest yew unless I can do it legally and they're protected here too. I found a grove of yew a few months ago in a national forest a few hours away. I learned that I can harvest some with a permit so I will do that in the spring. I love yew trees!
Chris, have you grown any yew? I'm about to buy some seeds to hopefully have some trees in the future for bow making.
Anaga, I tried, once. During a visit to Europe a few years ago, I ate all the yew berries I could (pretty tasty) and saved many of the seeds. They're obviously taxus baccata and they're mostly from Germany and Austria. I planted a few of them in a mixture of potting soil and sharp sand which I read was good. I watered them a few times each week for over a year and never had anything sprout! I finally decided it was a totally failed experiment! I'd read that they have a high failure rate and that it can take a long time to get them to sprout. That's why I persisted for so long. I still have many seeds so I'll try again but I'll give up sooner. You should do fine planting cuttings and I've done that. However, even if you're 20 years old, I would not expect to get harvestable bow wood in my life time. It's just too slow growing.To grow your own bow wood, I'd recommend Osage orange. Good luck!
Oh, and don't swallow yew seeds! Deadly! Two of them are said to be fatal to a horse!
@@christraub3889 Thank you for the advice. From what others have told me, yew is really finicky. They need both a period of cold and warmth to germinate. Might be fun as an experiment but we'll see. Cuttings would be good too, but I'm stateside for maybe pacific yew might be my best bet. If I can't use them, I think it'd be cool for others to enjoy at least for posterity's sake. Thankfully, I have some osage and hickory near by, so I'll be able to get some good wood in the near future. Thanks again, and I'll be sure to not swallow any seeds lol 😂
Me and my sister sent many happy times climbing in the Yew trees either side of the garden gate at our grandmother's. They were nice and tall and created an arch at the entrance to her front lawn. Beautiful memories.
Never heard about this astonishing tree before yesterday - if I could, I would visit that par of the world only for this astonoshing tree.
Really informative and clearly explained. Kept me hooked right to the end, thank you.
What a fascinating TH-cam channel to stumble across. Only 61 subscribers ?
The problem with yew preservation in places like churchyards in particular. Is that no one considered the maturity of these trees when planting. The churches themselves were probably expected to far outlive the churches but so many churches have been demolished or fallen to ruin in our lifetimes.
If the roots of a yew start disturbing a building or even a bunch of graves, what do you do?
Apart from the fact you are apparently smuggling a small yew yourself, I found this very enjoyable and useful ;) Thank you.
Very eloquent and informative 😃
Wow! It’s a huge tree .
Great video! Any recommendations of ancient Yews to check out in the London area?
I saw some huge yew trees near the Santa Sophia in Turkey two years ago. I suspected that they went back to the age of Constantine who carried on the British tradition of planting them at sacred sites. Does anyone know?
It's seven years but...
The planting of trees in churchyards in Britain and Ireland is copied from the Mediterranean practice of placing evergreens around burial grounds.
At last a little reminder to think and consult you church wardens. Not naming names but the countless yews I have visited and had my trip spoiled by mis - management. They are a enhancement of a place of belief with hundreds even thousands of years history. Not a rubbish dump and decapitation point.
Are you still at it? ancient-yew.org is not contactable??
That website was still functioning when checked today. It also has a contact address, although I didn't attempt to do so.