Common yew
Taxus baccata
Common yew is one of the oldest trees in the world; it can live up to 2,000 years. In parks, we often see them in larger groups forming dense groves. The needles of the common yew are relatively soft, with no stiffness that is characteristic of spruce tree, for example. They bloom in early spring and then bear seeds which are surrounded by pink sweet aril. The aril is the only non-poisonous part of the common yew; all the other parts are very poisonous.