Taxus × media


Taxus × media, more commonly known as the Anglojap yew or simply Taxus media, is a conifer created by the hybridization of yew species Taxus baccata and Taxus cuspidata. This hybridization was thought to have been performed by the Massachusetts-based horticulturalist T.D. Hatfield in the early 1900s. ''

Taxonomy and common naming

The common name Anglojap is a portmanteau stemming from the national origin of T. baccata and the national origin of T. cuspidata.

Description

Like most yew species, T. × media prefers well-drained and well-watered soils, but has some degree of drought tolerance and in fact may die in conditions of excessive precipitation if the soil beneath the plant is not sufficiently well-drained.
Taxus × media is among the smallest extant species in the genus Taxus and may not even grow to the size of what one would consider a typical tree. Immature shrubs are very small and achieve heights of at most and diameters of at most, depending on the cultivar. Furthermore, T. × media is known to grow rather slowly and is not injured by frequent pruning, making this hybrid very desirable as a hedge in low-maintenance landscaping and also a good candidate for bonsai.

Toxicity

Taxus × media also shares with its fellow yew trees a high level of taxine in its branches, needles, and seeds. Taxine is toxic to the mammalian heart.

Varieties (Cultivars)