Anglojap Yew 'Hicksii'

Anglojap Yew 'Hillii' (Taxus × media 'Hillii') changes colour neither in high summer nor in hard frost. The dense linear needles stay dark green all year, and the thick upright crown takes shaping so obediently that you can clip flat planes, arches and globes from it.

It is irreplaceable where other conifers give up: in deep shade under trees, against north walls, in tight city courtyards. Growth is slow, some 0.3-1.5 m over the first ten years, so a hedge of it stays neat for a long time. It takes even very hard pruning and looks handsome beside rhododendrons.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: 'Hillii' is a male clone, so it sets no red arils; the rest of the plant, as in every yew, remains poisonous.
• Dimensions: 0.3-1.5 m tall at 10 years.
• Hardiness: Hardy down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4).
• Light: At home anywhere from full sun to deep shade - one of the most shade-tolerant conifers for the garden.
• Soil: Happy in any well-drained sandy or loamy soil; the one thing it dislikes is water standing at the roots.
• Watering: Water moderately and never let it stand; established plants take drought calmly.
• Care: Care is minimal: yew takes even very hard pruning and shapes beautifully into a hedge or topiary.
• Landscape use: Hedges, borders, foundation and mass plantings, screens and topiary - indispensable in a shade or winter garden.