Taxus baccata 'Stove Pipe' is a narrow, columnar evergreen shrub from the Taxaceae family that combines the ornamental elegance of English yew with exceptional winter hardiness. Growing 6 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide, this compact form works beautifully as a hedge or vertical accent in zones 4 through 7. Its dense, dark green, two-ranked needles remain lustrous year-round, and female plants produce showy red berry-like fruits that attract birds. Low maintenance and drought tolerant once established, this yew handles heavy shade with ease while responding beautifully to pruning.
Partial Sun
Moderate
4-7
144in H x 72in W
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Moderate
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The 'Stove Pipe' cultivar earns its name from its distinctly narrow, upright silhouette, a growth habit that sets it apart from the sprawling forms common in many yew varieties. It thrives in zones 4 through 7 and tolerates everything from full sun to heavy shade, making it flexible enough for nearly any garden position. Female plants produce showy red fruits that birds find irresistible, adding wildlife value alongside year-round evergreen structure. This shrub handles drought once rooted and rarely needs supplemental water, yet it responds eagerly to pruning and shearing, giving gardeners total control over its form.
Yew 'Stove Pipe' functions as a hedge plant and vertical accent shrub in residential and landscape settings. Its narrow, upright form fills the role of a living screen or boundary marker without consuming excessive width, while its tolerance for shade and pruning makes it reliable for formal gardens and structured landscapes. The showy red fruits attract birds, adding wildlife interest alongside the plant's ornamental evergreen foliage.
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Prune Taxus baccata 'Stove Pipe' in early spring before new growth appears. The plant accepts pruning and shearing exceptionally well and responds vigorously to cutting, allowing you to maintain or refine its columnar form. Light, regular pruning keeps the plant dense and attractive, while heavier pruning can reshape the shrub if needed.
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“Taxus baccata 'Stove Pipe' descends from English yew, Taxus baccata, a species with deep cultural roots across Europe, southwestern Asia, and northern Africa. The 'Stove Pipe' cultivar represents a selection that enhances the species' naturally dense character into a distinctly columnar form suited to modern garden spaces. While yews have been revered for centuries in European landscapes and churchyards, this particular cultivar emerged from the horticultural tradition of identifying and propagating superior specimens within the species, allowing gardeners to access the same ornamental excellence and longevity their ancestors valued.”