Nature Example

Yew

European Yew shoot with young cones and red Aril fruit
European Yew shoot with young cones and red Aril fruit
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license

A dense, dark evergreen tree often found in churchyards, with soft needles and red, fleshy berries.

How to identify:

Look for its short, flat, dark green needles and its small, bright red berries that have a hole in the end.

💡 Fun Facts

  • Yew trees can live for a very long time; some in the UK are thought to be over 2,000 years old.
  • Almost every part of the yew tree—its needles and seeds—is poisonous to humans and most animals.
  • Birds, however, can eat the fleshy red part of the berry (called an aril) and will fly off and poop out the poisonous seed somewhere else, helping the yew to spread.