Golden Common Yew

A slow-growing, dense evergreen conifer with an architectural, spreading habit, Taxus baccata Semperaurea is widely regarded as one of the finest golden yews for year-round garden colour. New needle-like foliage emerges a brilliant, luminous yellow in Spring, gradually maturing to a rich ochre-gold with dark green centres through Summer, and deepening to an attractive warm bronze-gold in Winter. Because it is naturally bushier and more vase-shaped than upright Irish yews, it creates a striking structural accent in borders, rockeries, or formal beds, and responds superbly to clipping if shaped as low hedging or topiary. It thrives in almost any soil provided drainage is sharp, maintaining its brightest golden hues when given plenty of direct sunshine.

Site: Tolerates inland and moderate (secondary) coastal exposure
Soil: Any fertile, well-drained soil including chalk, loam, sand, and well-structured clay; intolerant of persistent winter wet or waterlogging
Position: Full sun for the brightest golden colour; tolerates partial shade (foliage takes on greener tones in heavier shade)
Season of Interest: Year-round evergreen foliage; luminous yellow Spring shoots darkening to rich gold in Summer and warm bronze-yellow in Winter
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 6-10ft (2-3m) Spread: 6-10ft (2-3m) over 20-50 years (slow-growing)

Image 1 by Axel Kristinsson cropped and licensed under CC BY 2.0
Image 3 by Ellywa cropped and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0