Plant Family: Taxaceae
Growth Form: Low shrub one meter in height that establishes clonal colonies as the spreading branches root where they touch the ground.
Leaves: Flat, sharp-pointed needles, dark green above, lighter green beneath, held in a two-ranked arrangement on the twigs.
Bark: Brown and scaly.
Cones: Unusual for a gymnosperm, the brown seed is visible inside a red berry-like cup (aril). The pulp is edible and consumed by thrushes, waxwings, and other birds, who are the primary means of seed dispersal.
Habitat: American Yew is a shrub of undisturbed late successional communities, found in the shady understory of mature deciduous woods, older spruce-fir forests, and cool ravines.
Range: Throughout New England, north into Canada, west to the Great Lakes, and south in the mountains to Virginia.
Similar Species: Balsam Fir saplings also have flattened needles, but they are blunt-pointed and whitish beneath.
Comments: The leaves and twigs are a favorite browse of deer, and American Yew is reportedly in decline across much of its range due to unchecked deer populations.
