English yew

Overview

A striking, dense, orange-brown conifer: among the hardest of all softwoods and behaving more like a heavy hardwood. It has the legendary English longbow reputation, and today is turned, carved and used for small furniture. Material is limited in size and highly figured, and every part of the tree is poisonous, so handle with care.

Pros

• Very hard (Janka 1,520 lbf) and fine, even-textured with good natural lustre.
• Easy to work overall; glues, finishes and turns well (Wood Database).
• Durable to very durable (Wood Database).
• Beautiful colour and grain; flexible but strong.

Cons

• Toxic: the Wood Database says nearly all parts of the tree are poisonous and care should be exercised.
• Knots, hollows and irregular grain mean a high waste factor.
• Limited sizes, expensive for usable wood.
• Reported to cause irritation, nausea, headache and cardiac effects.

Variants and subspecies

• English / European yew (Taxus baccata) is the commonly sold species.
• Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) is a separate American species not covered here.
• Heart-and-sap contrast boards and burl are the most sought after.

Working and finishing

Works well with sharp tools and turns beautifully, but knots and irregular grain can chip. Work with dust extraction and a respirator and avoid skin contact with dust. Glues and finishes well.

Staining and finishing colour

Seldom stained; its natural orange-brown to purplish colour is the point. Oil and wax bring out its lustre, and it darkens with age.

Sustainability and handling

Not CITES-listed (Wood Database; checked 2026-09-30); IUCN Least Concern as of 2026-09-30. Safety: the Wood Database reports that yew has caused eye, skin and respiratory irritation, nausea, headache and cardiac effects, and that nearly all parts of the tree are toxic and poisonous to humans, so use dust extraction, a respirator and gloves, and keep offcuts and shavings away from livestock and children.

Popular projects

Turned bowls and pens, small boxes and cabinets, carvings, lutes and other instruments, archery bows, and decorative veneers.

Buying notes

Specialist lumber yards only. Northwest Lumber listed English yew 4/4 with quantity-tiered pricing of $10-12 per bf (earlier listings showed $15 for the same board), and Tehwoods listed 8/4 at $18 per bf. Expect knots and hollows; buy by the board and inspect, since usable yield is low.