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Key characteristics

Family: Taxaceae
Height: 16 feet in 20 years
Width: 5 feet in 20 years
Flower color: Inconspicuous; male and female flowers appear on separate plants
Foliage color: Dark green with golden yellow tips, giving a warm gold appearance
Bloom time: Not primarily grown for flowers
Light: Tolerates full sun to partial shade
Water: Low
Maintenance: Low, slow-growing; responds well to pruning and shaping
Growing zone: USDA zones 6 to 9
Wildlife: Red berries (on female plants) attract birds, although the plant is toxic to mammals and humans

Shrubs

Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Aurea'

Golden Irish Yew

Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Aurea' is a distinctive evergreen conifer celebrated for its columnar growth habit and vibrant foliage. Its needle-like leaves are a bright yellow-green, with new growth appearing especially vivid. This coloration is most prominent when grown in full sun, adding a year-round visual highlight to the landscape. Though primarily grown for its foliage, the plant may produce small, inconspicuous flowers in spring, followed by fleshy red arils on female specimens.

Light

Tolerates full sun to partial shade

Water

Low

Bloom time

Not primarily grown for flowers

Find this plant

Companion plants

Thyme · Switch grasses · Catmint · Penstemons · Coreopsis · Blanket flower

Design tip

Create vertical rhythm by repeating Golden Irish Yew at intervals through a long planting. Its narrow columnar form draws the eye upward without occupying much horizontal space, while golden-tipped foliage keeps the repeated accents visible throughout the year.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)