My Garden

toxic yew

Last post 11-10-2009 7:08 PM by David . 5 replies.

• 24/03/2005 08:19 AM
  maryanne Location: Joined on: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 1	Reply | Contact Hi Does yew retain its toxic quanlity when burnt? Can I use ash from a bonfire of yew on my veg patch safely? mary

• 24/03/2005 05:38 PM	In reply to
  ken69 Location: Norfolk UK Joined on: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 405	Reply | Contact Don't know Mary but the smoke would be the most dangerous part, and shredding too.

• 25/03/2005 11:06 AM	In reply to
  Susannes Garten Location: Joined on: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 29	Reply | Contact If you have plenty of Yew can't you donate the cuttings to a pharmaceutical enterprise? In Germany Yew is collected by such companies for the purpose of producing medicine against cancer. Have a nice day! Susanne

• 03/04/2005 09:24 PM	In reply to
  Roseann Location: Dublin Joined on: 16 Feb 2005 Posts: 45	Reply | Contact I have just read that the poisonous alkaloides in yew do not survive for long in fallen leaves and would pose no problems to crops grown in the vicinity of the tree, so I would think that they are safe after composting. Roseann

• 11/10/2009 06:24 PM	In reply to
  gardenb Location: Broadstairs Joined on: 11 Oct 2009 Posts: 1	Reply | Contact I'm wondering if I can compost yew berries as well as leaves - we have mounds of them this year and not sure whether if we compost them they would be harmful if used to compost our vegetables.

• 11/10/2009 07:08 PM	In reply to
  David Location: Sevenoaks Joined on: 11 May 2009 Posts: 98	Reply | Contact My advice would be to leave them for the songbirds. I have many red fruited dwarfing taxus specimens in our quite substantial back yard and from October onwards the birds seem to find them irresistable and provide my 100 year old pater with endless entertainment and chucklement!! Member 29971