Scientific name: Taxus baccata

Origin: Native to the UK and Europe and parts of Asia and Africa

Key identifying traits: Straight, small needles with a pointed tip, coloured dark green above and green-grey below. Unlike many other conifers, the common yew does not actually bear its seeds in a cone. Instead, each seed is enclosed in a red, fleshy, berry-like structure known as an aril which is open at the tip. All parts of the tree are toxic except for the red flesh of the berries

In the wood: Yew is commonly found growing in southern England and often forms the understorey in beech woodland. It can be used as a hedging plant and is common in churchyards.

Uses: Yew timber is incredibly strong and durable. Traditionally, the wood was used to make long bows and the Vikings used it to make nails for their ships!

Mythology and symbolism: Yew trees are associated with churchyards and there are at least 500 churchyards in England which contain yew trees older than the buildings themselves. It is not clear why, but it is thought that yew trees were planted on the graves of plague victims to protect and purify the dead, and also in churchyards to stop 'commoners' from grazing their cattle on church ground as yew is extremely poisonous to livestock.