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ConifersTrees

Amentotaxus argotaenia

catkin yew

A slow-growing evergreen conifer, up to around 8m high, with ascending branches and reddish young bark fading to grey-brown. Leaves are linear, to around 10cm long, dark green and leathery, with bands of silvery white along the undersides. Pollen cones are around 6cm long, and formed in groups of 1-3 at tips of the branches, seed cones are shorter and rounder, to around 2.5cm long. Seeds are small and covered with a long red aril (a fleshy outgrowth or appendage)

Synonyms

Amentotaxus cathayensis

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Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

4–8 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Taxaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright, Spreading branched
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Far East

How to grow

Cultivation

Thrives in rocky, moist but well-drained soils, in part or full shade. In regions where temperatures don't fall below -5°C, this species is well suited to understory planting in moist woodland or along damp stream banks

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings or by sowing seed as soon as it is ripe, outdoors. For more advice see our information on how to propagate from seed (tree/shrub)

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Minimal pruning required, see pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free, though seeds may be eaten by rodents

Diseases

May be susceptible to Phytophthora root rot

Get involved

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