Everlow Yew

Everlow Yew (Taxus x media 'Everlow')

Everlow Yew is a low, wide evergreen that gives beds a clean, finished look all year, especially in spots where you want coverage without height. Its dense, spreading habit helps unify mixed plantings and creates a calm, structured base for seasonal color. Because it tolerates shade well, it is useful under open trees and along the north side of buildings where many shrubs thin out. If you want dependable evergreen structure that stays neat with minimal effort, this cultivar fits the job.

Distinctive Features

This dwarf yew forms a dense, low-growing, spreading mound with rich, dark green needles and a refined, uniform texture. The plant is grown for foliage and structure rather than flowers, and it can develop small red, berry-like arils on female plants if pollinated, which are ornamental but toxic if ingested. Its broad, ground-hugging shape makes it especially effective for horizontal lines and wide coverage in foundation beds and borders. It also tolerates pruning well, letting you keep edges crisp or maintain a softer, natural outline.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to shade, with best density often in full sun to part shade.
• Soil: Well-drained soil is essential, and it adapts to loam, sand, or clay when 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 about 1 to 2 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide.
• Habit: Dwarf, low-growing, spreading evergreen shrub.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use a single, well-shaped plant as a focal point in a small bed where a broad evergreen form can anchor the composition year-round.
• Foundation Planting: Mass along the house for a durable evergreen base layer that keeps beds looking finished in every season.
• Evergreen Groundcover: Plant in groups to create wide, low coverage that reduces visual clutter and supports nearby seasonal color.
• Edging and Borders: Use along walks and bed edges to create a defined evergreen line without blocking views.
• Shade Planting: Tuck under open trees or into lower-light borders to add dense structure where many shrubs thin out.

Low Maintenance Care

• Pruning: Prune in late winter to early spring or after the main flush of growth to shape and encourage denser branching.
• Watering: Water deeply during the first growing season and during drought to prevent stress and thinning.
• Mulching: Mulch the root zone to conserve moisture and reduce weeds, keeping mulch a few inches away from stems.
• Winter Protection: In exposed sites, protect from drying wind and strong winter sun to reduce needle scorch.
• Drainage: Avoid wet, poorly drained soils to reduce the risk of root and crown problems.

Why Choose Everlow Yew?

• Wide Coverage: A low, spreading habit fills space efficiently without adding unwanted height.
• Shade Tolerance: Performs well in shade to part shade, giving you more placement options than many evergreens.
• Year-Round Structure: Dense evergreen foliage keeps landscapes looking organized through winter and beyond.
• Pruning Friendly: Responds well to shaping for clean edges or a more natural mound.
• Refined Texture: Dark green needles provide a calm, polished backdrop for flowering shrubs and perennials.

Everlow Yew is best when you give it good drainage, steady moisture while it establishes, and room to spread into its signature low, wide form. Once settled, it becomes a dependable evergreen anchor that quietly makes everything around it look more intentional. In areas with heavy deer pressure, plan protection, since browsing can limit the dense, finished look yews are valued for.