Hicks yew
Taxus x media 'Hicksii' · Taxaceae Popular
A narrow, upright yew with dark, glossy needles. It is the classic plant for a dense, formal, evergreen hedge in sun or shade.
- Size
- 11½ ft tall, 5 ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 7
- Light
- Full sun to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Toxic (severe)
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around Hicks yew
The planner designed this bed around Hicks yew when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) formal bed in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why Hicks yew stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Hicks yew × 1, dark green leaves
- 2 Bloody cranesbill × 11, pink
- 3 Brown-eyed Susan × 6, yellow
- 4 Hellebore 'Pink Frost' × 6, pink
- 5 Eastern bee balm × 3, pink
- 6 Lady's mantle × 6, green
- 7 Grape hyacinth × 10, blue
- 8 Easter lily × 4, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
Why here
- At the back. At 11½ ft it is seen over eastern bee balm (20 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 8 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- One of two evergreens. They are what the bed has to show from November to March.
Planned as a formal bed: 47 of the 47 plants (100%) are mirrored across the middle of the bed: each stands on the middle line or has a twin of its own kind opposite it. The front edge is finished with bloody cranesbill. Pink runs through the planting: 3 of the 7 kinds grown for their flowers have it.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 5 Good, 1 Satisfactory, 1 Needs revision. Its weakest point is height and scale: Heights average about 10 in at the front, 20 in in the middle and 4½ ft at the back. The tallest plant, Hicks yew at 11½ ft, is taller than two-thirds of the bed's depth (5½ ft), so it towers over the bed.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Hicks yew goes in a border
At 11½ ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is super tall (over 6½ ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
A clipped yew hedge is the best possible background for a flower border: dark, matt and fine-textured. Unlike most conifers, yew regrows when cut back into old wood.
- Formal hedges
- Evergreen screening in shade
- A dark background for flowers
What to plant with Hicks yew
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its fine ones; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
- Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle': adds the flowers, late June to early September; bold leaves against its fine ones; low enough (4 ft) to stand in front of it.
- Lenten rose: adds the flowers, late March to early May; bold leaves against its fine ones; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
Choosing between it and a look-alike? Arborvitae 'Emerald Green' vs Hicks yew.
Questions about Hicks yew
Does Hicks yew need sun or shade?
Hicks yew grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does Hicks yew grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 7. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 7 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should Hicks yew be planted?
3½ ft (100 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 11½ ft (350 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Hicks yew plants do I need?
At 3½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 3 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is Hicks yew poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. Needles, bark and seeds are extremely poisonous; small amounts can cause sudden heart failure in people, pets and livestock. Never plant it where animals graze, and keep clippings out of their reach.
Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like Hicks yew?
These come closest to doing what Hicks yew does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Arborvitae 'Emerald Green': the same job in a bed; 4 in narrower, wants moist soil.
- Sawara cypress 'Boulevard': the same job in a bed; 8 in wider, wants moist soil.
- Box honeysuckle 'Baggesen's Gold': the same job in a bed; 7½ ft shorter.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What does Hicks yew look like in winter?
Hicks yew keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
More Taxus
- Dwarf Japanese yew Taxus cuspidata 'Nana'
- Irish yew Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata'
- Spreading English yew Taxus baccata 'Repandens'
- Spreading yew 'Densiformis' Taxus x media 'Densiformis'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 11½ ft (350 cm) tall, 5 ft (150 cm) wide
- Plant
- 3½ ft (100 cm) apart
- Height class
- Super tall (over 6½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 7
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Taxaceae
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.