Flushing Yew

Flushing Yew (Taxus x media 'Flushing')

Flushing Yew is a narrow, upright evergreen that adds clean structure and privacy in spaces where you cannot spare much width. Its dark green needles hold color through winter, making it a reliable anchor for foundation beds, entries, and tight side-yard corridors. The fastigiate form creates a polished look without constant shaping, and it can still be trimmed when you want a sharper outline. If you need a slim evergreen that keeps landscapes looking finished year-round, this cultivar fits that role well.

Distinctive Features

This anglojap yew forms an extremely narrow column with ascending, fastigiate branching and glossy, dark green needles. It is valued for vertical impact in tight footprints, typically maturing around 12 to 15 feet tall while staying about 2 to 3 feet wide. As a female selection, it can produce small, red, berry-like arils in fall when pollinated, adding subtle seasonal interest. Like other yews, plant parts are toxic if ingested, and it performs best with good drainage and steady moisture during establishment.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to part shade for best density and overall performance.
• 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 12 to 15 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.
• Habit: Very narrow, columnar evergreen shrub with upright, fastigiate branching.
• Foliage: Dark green evergreen needles with strong winter presence.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use it as a focal point beside an entry or at the end of a walkway where a slim evergreen column adds instant structure.
• Narrow Screening: Plant in a row to create privacy in tight corridors where wider shrubs will not fit.
• Foundation Accents: Place near corners and vertical lines to add height and balance without crowding the bed.
• Formal Repetition: Use in pairs or repeated groupings to create rhythm and a clean architectural look.
• Evergreen Backdrop: Set behind flowering shrubs and perennials to keep the bed looking finished year-round.

Low Maintenance Care

• Pruning: Prune in late winter to early spring or after the main flush of growth to maintain a crisp column and improve density.
• 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.
• Drainage: Avoid wet, poorly drained soils to reduce the risk of root and crown problems.
• Deer Protection: Protect where deer pressure is high because yews are often browsed.

Why Choose Flushing Yew?

• Ultra Narrow Form: Provides tall evergreen structure and privacy while staying only a few feet wide.
• Year-Round Presence: Dark green needles keep borders and foundations looking finished in every season.
• Urban Tolerance: Handles many landscape conditions well when soil drainage is good.
• Pruning Friendly: Responds well to trimming for formal lines or a cleaner outline.
• Seasonal Accent: Female plants can develop red arils in fall when pollinated for added interest.

Flushing Yew is best when you give it good drainage, steady moisture while it establishes, and a placement where its narrow shape solves a real space problem. Once settled, it becomes a dependable vertical evergreen that quietly improves the look of the entire planting. Use it where you want structure, privacy, and a clean finish without sacrificing valuable width.