Spreading plum yew
Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata' · Taxaceae
A low, wide-spreading evergreen with soft, dark needles like a yew. It tolerates southern heat and humidity, which true yews do not, and deer leave it alone.
- Size
- 2½ ft tall, 5 ft wide
- Zones
- 6 to 9
- Light
- Part sun to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Toxic (moderate)
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around spreading plum yew
The planner designed this bed around spreading plum yew when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why spreading plum yew stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Spreading plum yew × 1, dark green leaves
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 8, tan
- 3 Leadwort × 13, blue
- 4 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 4, purple
- 5 White snakeroot 'Chocolate' × 4, white
- 6 Solomon's seal × 3, white
- 7 Golden ragwort × 16, yellow
- 8 Grecian windflower × 10, pink
- 9 Yellow trout lily × 8, yellow
- 10 Giant snowdrop × 8, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So does moor grass 'Greenlee'.
Why here
- In the middle. At 2½ ft it is the step between moor grass 'Greenlee' (12 in) in front and white snakeroot 'Chocolate' (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 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 9 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as an English border: 8 of the 9 groups (89%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Golden ragwort repeats along the bed to tie it together. The scheme leans cool (blue, purple and pink) and uses yellow for warmth, with tan and white to calm things between them.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 7 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where spreading plum yew goes in a border
At 2½ ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium (24 in to 2½ 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.
It gives the dark, fine-textured evergreen mass of yew in gardens where yew fails. Slow, but permanent.
- Evergreen groundcover for shade
- A yew substitute in hot climates
- Where deer eat yews
What to plant with spreading plum yew
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its fine ones; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (18 in) 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.
- Autumn fern.
Questions about spreading plum yew
Does spreading plum yew need sun or shade?
Spreading plum yew grows in 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. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does spreading plum yew grow in?
USDA zones 6 to 9. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should spreading plum yew be planted?
4 ft (120 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 2½ ft (75 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many spreading plum yew plants do I need?
Usually one. At 4 ft (120 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 4 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is spreading plum yew poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts are poisonous if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Do deer eat spreading plum yew?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does spreading plum yew look like in winter?
Spreading plum 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.
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 2½ ft (75 cm) tall, 5 ft (150 cm) wide
- Plant
- 4 ft (120 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium (24 in to 2½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 6 to 9
- Light
- Part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Taxaceae
- Comes from
- Assam, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought, heat
Checked against NC State Extension. 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.