General: The Japanese yew tree is native to various islands in Japan at high altitudes. Here it grows rather slowly as a shrub and reaches a height of approx. 3 meters. The needles are evergreen, brownish in autumn and shorter and more compact than the common yew tree, which is common in Europe. The bark is gray-brown and later partially dissolves into scales. Female plants have striking red fruits. Except for this red pulp, all parts of the plant are poisonous! The yew tree is very robust and tolerant of soil and weather conditions.
Care as a bonsai: Due to its robustness, its strong throwing capacity (also from the old wood) and the fine foliage, the yew tree offers many possibilities for bonsai design. However, you should wire it in good time when the branches are still young. Later on they become very hard and inflexible. Yew trees can grow in the shade as well as in the sun. The only important thing is appropriate irrigation, whereby waterlogging must be avoided at all costs! During the growing season, the long shoots are shortened by plucking. As with almost all conifers, late summer / autumn is the best time for root pruning and repotting. When milling wood, you should definitely use a respirator due to the toxicity!
