On a quick hike in McDonald Research Forest, I once again find myself admiring a string of short, scrubby evergreen trees that run along the northside of Section 36 Loop trail. Ah yes: the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia). Due to the their unassuming looks and propensity to grow moss, yews are often overlooked by many who visit the forest. However, I am drawn to the humble Pacific yew this day. I must stop and take a closer look.
Getting to know yew
Upon inspection, deep reddish piecemeal bark flakes from beneath a blanket of moss that envelopes much of the trunk and its many spreading branches. The foliage consists of green, flat pointed-needles that splay out from each twig in a V-shaped formation, like geese flying south for the winter. Flipping over a branch, the pale sage underbellies of the needles are revealed confirming my identification.
It is winter and it is wet in the understory where the Pacific yew humbly resides. A thin veneer of rain coats the needles so that they shimmer–a festive display for the season. Forest raindrops fall from the foliage overhead, tapping gently on the hood of my rain jacket, while the moss covering the yew, unabashedly slurp up each drop.
Through the seasons
As I continue down the trail, spotting another yew and then another, my mind wanders back in time to past seasons. My fingers trace the edges of space where the delicate-leaved western meadow-rue bloom in spring, while my eyes glance around for the ghostly remembrances of pink fairy slippers and white trillium. My thoughts eventually careening back again to the Pacific yew. What do yew do come spring?
Yew “bloom” too. In spring, yew trees will adorn their twigs with inconspicuous strobili, or “flowers.” Dioecious plants–male yew will make male strobili and female yew, female strobili, respectively. Later in summer, the female stromboli will mature into bright red, berry-like arils. Though they look tasty–do not partake–yew are poisonous to many, including humans.
Thank a yew
Soon, I am skittering along past Cronemiller Lake, nearing the end of my hike, but my mind is still fixed on this amazing plant. The story of the yew is closely intertwined with humankind. Yew, like many sessile lifeforms, are experts at chemical warfare–producing toxins to ward off whatever may cause them harm. Amongst the yew’s arsenal is a chemical now known as taxol–first discovered and isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew in the 1960s and 70s. Since then, taxol has proved to be an effective cancer fighting drug with the ability to disrupt the process of cell division in cancer cells. Though now taxol is manufactured, yew trees gave us the blueprint for drugs that have undoubtedly saved many human lives.
So thank you, yew. And thank you, too, for listening to me ramble as I pay homage to this underdog of a tree that has done a lot for humanity.
Looking for yew
The Section 36 loop in McDonald Forest is one of my personal favorite places to look for Pacific yew, but you may find them along many trails in mid to low elevation forests in the Pacific Northwest or Rocky Mountains. Look for yew in moist forested areas often scattered among other conifers, like shady ravines or along streams.