In the mood of Park Egmont
Identity
Category :
Arbre remarquable
Latin name :
Taxus baccata
French name :
If commun
Dutch name :
Gewone Taxus
English name :
Common yew
Family :
Taxaceae
Height :
14 m
Targeted height :
This species can grow up to 20 m
Diameter of the crown :
10 m
Trunk circumference :
133 cm
Expected circumference :
500 cm
Expected longevity :
Can live for 900–1000 years
Origin / Indigenous
Europe, northern Africa, Caucasus and Anatolia
Favorite soil :
Likes well draining soils that are rich and humid
Favorite climate
Temperate and continental
Belgian Federal State Collection on permanent loan to the Meise Botanical Garden : Mouillefert, Traité des arbres et arbrissaux, Atlas, pl. 32, 1892-1898
Features and characters of the individual
This pair of yew trees are over 100 years old. Trees of this species grow very slowly and can live for a very long time: up to 3000 years. This species grew in the wild in this region from about 2500 BC. The dark yew forests were sacred to the Druids, they were a symbol of immortality and resistance, and also were the emblem of the Eburones (a Gallic-Germanic tribe). Today though, they have practically disappeared. Although less common now, they are very much appreciated for cabinet making, for their incredibly dense wood, and for research against cancer. A tree that supposedly has ties to the afterlife, it is often planted at the entrance of cemeteries and parks. A Sunday walker who is an enthusiast of yew trees recounts an ancient belief about yew trees: “He who falls asleep in the shadow of this tree’s foliage will, upon awakening, have completely forgotten what they were previously doing.” In case you are feeling overworked, the bench between these two trees is waiting for you. 😉
More info in the book (FR) R.Zander, La Forêt Sacrée, Vertus et symboles des arbres, Editions du Grand Chêne.
