English Yew Hedge
Taxus baccata
English Yew (Taxus baccata) is a dense native evergreen hedge plant with fine, dark green foliage that clips into a crisp formal hedge. It is one of the best evergreen choices for sun, partial shade or full shade and can be maintained as anything from a low boundary to a tall privacy screen.
Yew typically grows around 20–40cm per year once established. It is slower than Laurel or Leylandii, but its controlled growth, longevity and ability to regenerate from old wood make it particularly valuable where a refined, long-term hedge is more important than maximum speed.
- Dense native evergreen
- Excellent in sun or shade
- Ideal for formal clipping
- Regenerates from old wood
Key product facts
English Yew Hedge Root Types
Choose from our range of English Yew Hedge sizes and root types below.
Bare root English Yew hedging
Availability
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Choose your height
Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.
20-30cm
- Bare RootSingle plants£3.75
£3.75 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 50Save 4%Original price was: £187.50.£178.13Current price is: £178.13.
£3.56 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 100Save 7%Original price was: £375.00.£346.88Current price is: £346.88.
£3.47 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 250Save 10%Original price was: £937.50.£843.75Current price is: £843.75.
£3.38 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 500Save 12%Original price was: £1,875.00.£1,640.63Current price is: £1,640.63.
£3.28 per plant
30-40cm
- Bare RootSingle plants£4.50
£4.50 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 50Save 5%Original price was: £225.00.£213.75Current price is: £213.75.
£4.28 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 100Save 7%Original price was: £450.00.£416.25Current price is: £416.25.
£4.16 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 250Save 10%Original price was: £1,125.00.£1,012.50Current price is: £1,012.50.
£4.05 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 500Save 12%Original price was: £2,250.00.£1,968.75Current price is: £1,968.75.
£3.94 per plant
40-60cm
- Bare RootSingle plants£5.75
£5.75 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 50Save 4%Original price was: £287.50.£273.13Current price is: £273.13.
£5.46 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 100Save 7%Original price was: £575.00.£531.88Current price is: £531.88.
£5.32 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 250Save 10%Original price was: £1,437.50.£1,293.75Current price is: £1,293.75.
£5.18 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 500Save 12%Original price was: £2,875.00.£2,515.63Current price is: £2,515.63.
£5.03 per plant
Root ball English Yew hedging
Availability
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Choose your height
Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.
60-80cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£24.95
£24.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 25Save 9%Original price was: £623.75.£561.38Current price is: £561.38.
£22.46 per plant
80-100cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£29.95
£29.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 22Save 9%Original price was: £658.90.£593.01Current price is: £593.01.
£26.96 per plant
100-125cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£37.95
£37.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 16Save 10%Original price was: £607.20.£546.48Current price is: £546.48.
£34.16 per plant
125-150cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£59.95
£59.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 10Save 10%Original price was: £599.50.£539.55Current price is: £539.55.
£53.96 per plant
150-175cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£109.95
£109.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 8Save 10%Original price was: £879.60.£791.64Current price is: £791.64.
£98.96 per plant
175-200cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£160.95
£160.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 8Save 10%Original price was: £1,287.60.£1,158.84Current price is: £1,158.84.
£144.86 per plant
200-225cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£209.95
£209.95 per plant
250-275cm
- Root BalledSingle plants£375.00
£375.00 per plant
Pot grown English Yew hedging
Availability
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Choose your height
Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.
30-40cm
- Pot GrownSingle plants£9.95
£9.95 per plant
40-60cm
- Pot GrownSingle plants£13.95
£13.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 60Save 10%Original price was: £837.00.£753.30Current price is: £753.30.
£12.56 per plant
60-80cm
- Pot GrownSingle plants£23.95
£23.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 40Save 9%Original price was: £958.00.£862.20Current price is: £862.20.
£21.56 per plant
Sold out
80-100cm
- Pot GrownSingle plants£34.95
£34.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 25Save 9%Original price was: £873.75.£786.38Current price is: £786.38.
£31.46 per plant
Sold out
100-125cm
- Pot GrownSingle plants£40.95
£40.95 per plant
- Bulk savingPack of 16Save 10%Original price was: £655.20.£589.68Current price is: £589.68.
£36.86 per plant
Instant English Yew hedging
Availability
- In Season
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Choose your height
Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.
80-100cm
- Instant HedgingPer metre£189.95
£189.95 per metre
- Bulk savingPack of 8Save 9%Original price was: £1,519.60.£1,367.64Current price is: £1,367.64.
£170.96 per metre
- Bulk savingPack of 16Save 12%Original price was: £3,039.20.£2,659.30Current price is: £2,659.30.
£166.21 per metre
Which English Yew should you buy?
English Yew is one of Britain's classic evergreen hedging plants, with fine, dark green foliage that clips to a far more refined finish than faster conifers. Choose your plants by starting height, planting season and how much screening you need straight away.
| Root type | Heights | Plants per metre | When | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bare root | 20–60cm | 3–4 | November to March | Lowest cost on long hedges |
| Pot grown | 30–125cm | 3 | Most of the year | Planting outside the dormant season |
| Root balled | 60–275cm | 1–3 | Autumn to spring | Real height for less than instant |
| Instant hedging | 80–100cm | Ready-made lengths | Most of the year | A finished hedge on day one |
Bare-root Yew is lifted while dormant and can be pre-ordered now for the new season. For a hedge of around 6ft from day one, the 175–200cm root-balled plants are the usual choice, planted at 2 per metre. The exact plants-per-metre figure and price are shown against each size above.
Why choose English Yew for hedging?
Dense evergreen structure
English Yew keeps its dark green foliage all year, giving a dependable evergreen hedge with a fine-textured, formal finish. Unlike broad-leaved evergreens, it can be kept neat without needing a wide hedge, so it works as anything from a low boundary to a substantial privacy screen.
The best plant for formal hedges and topiary
Its short needles and dense branching hold straight sides, crisp tops and curves cleanly. Unusually for a conifer, healthy established Yew regrows from old wood, so an overgrown hedge can be cut back hard and renovated rather than replaced. For finished shapes, see our Yew topiary balls.
Yew compared with Box and Beech
| English Yew | Box | Beech | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evergreen | Yes | Yes | No, holds dry brown leaves |
| Typical hedge height | 0.6m to 5m | Low edging | 1.2m to 5m |
| Shade | Excellent | Good | Light shade |
| Box blight and caterpillar | Not affected | Susceptible | Not affected |
| Safe near livestock | No, highly poisonous | No | Yes |
If you want a low Box-style edge, our Box hedge alternatives are lower and quicker to fill out. For a taller formal hedge that is not poisonous, compare Beech hedging.
What our grower says about English Yew
Yew is one of the best plants you can choose for a long-term formal hedge, but I always look at the drainage before anything else. It will grow in an enormous range of soils and light levels, but it does not like sitting with wet roots.
For a long hedge, don't dismiss the small bare-root plants just because they give less height on day one. They are a fraction of the price, easy to plant and establish extremely well. Spend on root-balled Yew only for the stretches where you need structure straight away, and plant it in autumn or winter so it settles before spring.
Choosing the right hedge
Is English Yew the right hedge for you?
A great choice if you want:
- A dense evergreen hedge with year-round structure
- A formal hedge that clips into a crisp, neat finish
- A hedge for full sun, partial shade or full shade
- A native evergreen for a traditional British planting scheme
- A hedge that can be maintained from a low boundary to a tall screen
- A long-term hedge where controlled growth matters more than maximum speed
Consider another hedge if:
- The planting ground stays persistently waterlogged
- You need the fastest possible screening from small plants
- Horses or grazing livestock can reach the hedge
- You specifically need a non-toxic hedging species
Where does Yew hedging grow best?
Soil and drainage
English Yew grows in most UK soils, including clay, loam, chalk and sand, provided excess water can drain away. Drainage is the one real limitation: do not plant Yew where the ground stays saturated or water stands after prolonged rain. On heavy or compacted ground, prepare the whole planting strip and fix the drainage rather than filling individual holes with compost.
Sun and shade
Yew is one of the most shade-tolerant evergreen hedges, growing in full sun through to considerable shade, which makes it useful beside buildings, walls and mature planting. Dry shade under established trees is still hard work, because the new hedge competes for water, so keep it well watered while it establishes.
Yew is poisonous
All parts of Yew except the fleshy red aril are highly poisonous if eaten. Do not plant it where horses or grazing livestock can reach it, and clear up trimmings promptly. Read more in Is Taxus baccata poisonous to dogs and livestock?
Yew hedge growth, spacing and pruning
How quickly does a Yew hedge grow?
Once established, English Yew typically grows around 20–40cm a year in good conditions. In the first season after planting it often makes little top growth while the roots establish. It is a controlled, steady grower rather than the quickest route to a screen, so buy larger plants if you need height soon.
How far apart should Yew hedge plants be?
Plant in a single row. As a guide, use 4 per metre for 20–40cm bare-root plants, 3 per metre for 40–125cm plants, 2 per metre for 125–200cm root-balled plants and 1 per metre for the largest 250–275cm plants. Use a staggered double row only where you want an extra-thick boundary.
Trimming and renovating Yew
One or two trims during the growing season, usually from late summer, keep an established hedge dense and neat. Because Yew regrows from older wood, a healthy overgrown hedge can be reduced in stages over a couple of years. For full planting and pruning advice, see our Yew hedge care and growing guide.
Buying help
Buying FAQs
What size Yew hedge plants should I buy?
Choose according to the starting height you need, your budget, site access and whether you can water the hedge while it establishes. Small bare-root Yew is the most economical and establishes well; root-balled and instant Yew give more immediate height. A larger plant does not necessarily establish faster than a smaller healthy one.
How many Yew hedge plants do I need per metre?
It depends on the size. As a guide, plant 20–40cm bare-root Yew at 4 per metre, 40–125cm plants at 3 per metre, 125–200cm root-balled plants at 2 per metre and 250–275cm plants at 1 per metre. The exact figure is shown against each option above.
Can I buy 6ft Yew hedge plants?
Yes. Our 175–200cm root-balled English Yew gives a hedge of around 6ft straight away, planted at 2 per metre, and we also grow 200–225cm and 250–275cm plants. Root-balled Yew is lifted in the cooler months, normally autumn to spring.
Can Yew hedging be planted all year?
Pot-grown and instant Yew can normally be planted throughout the year when the ground is workable and you can water reliably. Bare-root Yew is supplied from November to March, and root-balled Yew from autumn to spring. Current availability is shown against each option above.
Is Yew suitable for a privacy hedge?
Yes. English Yew develops into a dense evergreen screen and can be kept at a wide range of heights. It grows more steadily than Laurel or Leylandii, so it suits customers who want a controlled, formal hedge rather than maximum growth speed.
Is Yew suitable near horses or livestock?
No. Yew foliage, bark and seeds are highly poisonous if eaten, so do not plant it where horses or grazing livestock can reach it, and collect clippings straight after trimming.
Helpful guides
More help with English Yew
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Give your new hedge the best possible start with the planting products we recommend for establishment and healthy growth.
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Feeding your hedging with our granular ‘Hedge Feed’ the ultimate solution for nurturing and rejuvenating your beloved hedge. Our carefully crafted long lasting granular hedge fertiliser provides the essential nutrients your hedge needs to thrive.
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As well as supplying high quality plants we also provide a complete Irrigation package to make sure your investment thrives.
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Our Hedge Planting Compost is a natural, peat free soil conditioner/improver.
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Our bamboo canes provide support to your hedge and ensures that plants fitted with a rabbit guard will grow nice and straight. They are 90cm long (3ft) and made from 100% bamboo.
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Our Hedging Spiral Guards help protect your hedge from damage by rabbits.
