Wester Yew is the NW’s toughest conifer, a shrub-like tree that may slowly grow to 50’ tall often with a contorted trunk, branches spreading and drooping. Its bark is dark brown with an appearance of scales, its needles are flat, growing spirally from a branch, but twisting to
align in 2 flat rows on either side of that branch (spirals can be seen in new growth). Its cone is a disguised red berry. The Early pioneers cut yew whenever possible for ax handles, other tools, and hay sled runners, especially the latter as wheels were a luxury to homesteaders. The Native Indigenous used the wood for paddles, halibut hooks, bows, clubs, and shovels. Once abundant, their selective cutting and the Big Burn (see the burnt stumps by Kiosks 4 & 9) left only a few large remnants in difficult to reach gullies. The discovery of the Pacific (another name) Yew’s complex molecule, Taxol, as an anticancer drug has also spurred harvesting. A member of the Taxaceae Family, it grows very slowly. Specimens planted in 2004 (now 6’ tall) are found by Kiosk 05. Pilchuck Learning Center’s sponsored Western Washington State University SAM Project extinction possibility is slight in Cascadia; grows where it is moist and shady, also found in the Rocky Mountains with little chance of extinction.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_brevifolia
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Taxus+brevifolia
https://www.plc215.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Kiosk-05.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4078328/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/taxus-brevifolia
https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Taxus%20brevifolia
The Pacific Yew’s berry is what color?
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