European Yew--Taxus Baccata

 The European Yew has a deep and wide history all over Europe. The British made bows from the strong flexible wood. The Druids used it to make magic wands. It was commonly used in musical instruments such as lutes and primitive flutes. Since it lived thousands of years and sprouted when drooping branches touched the soil, it was revered as a symbol of reincarnation by the pagans and Resurrection by the Christians.  Since it was used to make weapons, even in ancient times, it was sacred to Hecate, the Greek Goddess of death and the underworld.

It is perhaps the most poisonous plant in Europe and all parts except fleshy covering of the seed are toxic. Yew residue was found on spear points from 50,000 years ago. Ancient Celts use the sap on arrowheads and for ritual suicide. Even Shakespeare mentioned it in a witches brew in Macbeth.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

                                                                Liver of blaspheming Jew,
                                                                Gall of goat, and slips of yew

                                                               

The UC Botanical Garden calls this an English Yew, but it occurs all over Europe, so I like the name European Yew better. At any rate, it is closely related to the Pacific Yew, Taxus brevifolia, which grows in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Canada. Slowly. It grows very slowly. The European Yew also grows slowly, but it is very adaptable (any soil, sun or shade) and has been planted in gardens and parks for hundreds of years. Whereas the Pacific Yew grows sparsely on public lands such as national parks and forests. One use of the European Yew has become particularly important in recent years. It has been planted as a hedge in many areas. This means that it is trimmed regularly, and since the precursor to the cancer drug Taxol occurs in the leaves, it can be used to synthesize the drug without harming the plant. In contrast, the drug only occurs in the bark of the Pacific Yew, and at least three trees had to be destroyed to treat one patient for a year. That didn't sit well with environmentalists.

Yews are sacred, planted in churchyards throughout Britain. However, since the trees are older than the churches, they were probably used by Druids by a sacred grove before christians appropriated the space and crushed their practices. Christians believe that the poisons in the yew protect the dead. So not only are they common in the graveyard, branches are actually buried with the dead.

For the solstice, the Druids decorated evergreens with symbols of hopes for the coming year: fruits for a good harvest, love charms for a new relationship, nuts for fertility and coins for wealth. This was the precursor to the evergreens we put in our homes in December in modern times.

Yews have been the source of one of the most potent cancer treatments found in the last fifty years. Yews can kill you, and they can cure you. We may not worship them or consider them sacred. but many people are thankful for the gifts of the yew.

(sacred plant. Rx)