Pacific Yew

Pacific yew is a slow-growing, shade-tolerant evergreen native to the moist forests of the Pacific Northwest. It has dense, dark green needles and thin, reddish-brown peeling bark, often forming small, gnarled trees in the understory. Its bright red arils attract birds, though the seeds and foliage are toxic to humans and many mammals. Historically valued for its wood and, more recently, for the cancer-fighting compound paclitaxel found in its bark, Pacific yew plays an important ecological role by providing habitat and food for wildlife in old-growth forest ecosystems.