Yew trees are identified by their long, narrow, flat, lanceolate, needle-like leaves with rounded tips. Yew leaves measure between 0.4” and 1.5” (1 – 4 cm) long and 0.1” (3 mm) wide. A characteristic feature of yew leaves is their arrangement in two rows along stems and spirally on upright stems. On most species of yew trees, the flat linear leaves...

An identifiable feature of yew trees is the red berry-like fruits called arils. These cup-shaped fruits contain a single poisonous seed. The fleshy-red aril is the only part of the yew plant that is edible. Unlike most species of coniferswith seed-bearing cones, yew fruit and seeds grow directly on the stems, not in cones. The red berry-like fall f...