Angelica Yew

Angelica Yew (Taxus x media densiformis 'Angelica')

Angelica Yew is a dense, low evergreen that gives you clean, year-round structure in beds that need to look finished in every season. Its compact, spreading habit fills in reliably, making it easy to create a tidy foundation line or a low, durable evergreen mass. It handles pruning well, so you can keep it crisp and controlled or let it settle into a soft mound. If you want an evergreen that stays useful through winter and plays well with other plants, this one fits.

Distinctive Features

Angelica Yew is a dense, semi-dwarf selection with short, deep green needles and a naturally mounded to spreading form. As a sport of dense yew types, it is valued for strong winter presence and a uniform, refined look that holds up in mixed light conditions. The evergreen foliage provides steady texture behind flowering shrubs and perennials, and the plant responds well to shaping when a cleaner outline is needed. Like other yews, plant parts are toxic if ingested.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to shade, with best density in full sun to part shade.
• Soil: Well-drained soil is essential, and it adapts to loam, sand, or clay if drainage is reliable.
• Water: Medium moisture, keep evenly moist while establishing, then water during extended dry periods.
• USDA Zones: Zones 4 to 7.
• Mature Size: Typically 3 to 4 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide.
• Habit: Dense, low, mounding to spreading evergreen shrub.
• Deer: Not reliably deer resistant and can be heavily browsed in high-pressure areas.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use a well-pruned specimen as a focal point in a small bed where clean evergreen form matters year-round.
• Foundation Planting: Mass along the front of the house for a neat, evergreen base layer that holds winter structure.
• Low Hedge: Plant in a line and shear lightly for a compact, formal edge along walks and borders.
• Shade Planting: Use under open trees or on the north side of buildings where many evergreens thin out.
• Evergreen Mass: Group several plants to create a durable, low-maintenance evergreen carpet with strong texture.

Low Maintenance Care

• Pruning: Prune in late winter to early spring or after the main flush of growth to shape, thicken, and maintain size.
• Watering: Water deeply during the first growing season and during drought to prevent stress and needle drop.
• Mulching: Mulch the root zone to conserve moisture and protect roots, keeping mulch a few inches away from the stems.
• Winter Protection: In windy, exposed sites, provide some shelter to reduce winter burn and drying.
• Drainage: Avoid wet, poorly drained soils to reduce the risk of decline over time.

Why Choose Angelica Yew?

• Year-Round Structure: Dense evergreen foliage keeps landscapes looking finished in every season.
• Compact Size: A low, spreading habit fits foundation beds and tight spaces without constant resizing.
• Shade Tolerance: Performs well in part shade and can handle deeper shade better than many evergreens.
• Pruning Friendly: Takes shearing and selective pruning well for formal or natural looks.
• Versatile Design Role: Works as a low hedge, mass planting, or evergreen backdrop in mixed borders.

Angelica Yew is a practical evergreen when you want dependable structure, a clean look, and flexibility in sun or shade. Give it good drainage, steady moisture while it establishes, and a simple pruning routine if you want a tighter outline. Planted in the right spot, it becomes one of those reliable shrubs that quietly makes everything around it look better.