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Looking for a 'fast' growing Yew tree (Taxus)

Hi there

Could someone recommend a 'fast' growing Yew (one that will get close to 12" a year), if it is a native that would be great but happy with hybrid (Taxus x).

 

I'l looking to harvest wood (coppicing) rather than hedge building so would prefer column growing rather than spreading.

 

Many thanks

 

Chris

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Posts

  • blackestblackest Posts: 623

    http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/blog/yew-hedging-suppliers-growing-yew/ this page might help it says yew is fast growing when young and will slow down when it gets pruned.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    My Taxus baccata makes 12" of extension growth all round per year but, at 20 years from seed, it's a long way from having anything to harvest. What use were you thinking of for the harvested wood?



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,034

    Most yew will grow at 12 inches a year but you will be hard pressed to coppice it and get any worth while pieces of wood to work with. I dont think it is really an ideal tree for coppicing.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,718

    Agree... it will not be in your life time that you will be able to harvest any useable timber.

    The greenery can be hard pruned.

    Chris, what do you need the wood for?

    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • What about Golden-leaved Yews?

  • Ordinary bog-standard yew grows quite quickly. Irish yew, fastigiata is slower I have heard. Best to check your books first before buying.

    Preparation is important as ever..dig a trench and add something in the way of feed/compost etc. Make sure you allow lots of room...more than you think you need and remember you need to be able to cut it from both sides.

    Yew is a great choice.

  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,718

    Woodgreen wonderboy, I  said Taxus baccata fastigiate was the upright growing Yew that chris was asking for.

    Yes Yew is a great choice....BUT would you recommend it for regularly harvesting the timber?

    Coppicing?

    If I read this correctly chris is not looking for harvesting the green branches .. he seems to be after the timber.

    My argument is that timber is very very slow to bulk up.

    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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