FNPS Plant Database

Taxus floridana

Florida yew

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Florida yew

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Taxus floridana

Family:

Taxaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

to 25 ft tall by to 15 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

NA

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

Evergreen.

Noted For:

Showy Fruits

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Use as a specimen plant either as a small tree or large shrub.

Considerations:

Poisonous seeds and foliage for both humans and livestock.



Difficult to establish in general landscapes.

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed or cuttings.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Somewhat moist, no flooding ---to--- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

slightly acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Birds, Mammals

Birds and other animals eat the fruit.  Poisonous to humans and livestock.

Native Habitats:

Slope forest. Rich wooded ravines and cedar swamps. It typically grows in groups of small trees (clones). This species can be seen planted at Torreya St. Pk. and wild at Appalachicola Bluffs and Ravines TNC Preserve.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

This tree has male and female plants. Females have red berry-like cones.



This species is extremely rare.  Be sure to obtain this plant from properly licensed nurseries.

Citations:

Chapin, Linda.  2000.  Field guide to the rare plants of Florida.  Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL. 



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Watkins, John and Thomas Sheehan.  1975.  Florida Landscapt Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville. (soil, light, pH)



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021.  Atlas of Florida Plants  ( http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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