yew

The yew is a slow-growing evergreen, the longest living of all European trees, probably reaching ages of 1,000 years. The seeds are enclosed in a fleshy covering called an aril which is eaten by birds; the seed itself is poisonous, as is the rest of the tree.

Any of a group of evergreen coniferous trees native to the northern hemisphere. The dark green flat needlelike leaves and bright red berrylike seeds are poisonous; the wood is hard and close-grained. (Genus Taxus, family Taxaceae.)

The western or Pacific yew (T. brevifolia) is native to North America. English yew (T. baccata) is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree. The wood was formerly used to make longbows.

The anticancer drug taxol is synthesized from the bark of the Pacific yew.