Unique Yew Hedge to be created from
Historic and Threatened Trees World-wide
Young plants propagated from ancient and threatened yew trees and
collected from around the world are being used to create a unique
heritage hedge and important conservation resource in Scotland at the
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).
The hedge will be created using 2,000 small trees from the common yew
(Taxus baccata). Planted around the perimeter of the Garden, it will cover
a kilometre in length and take an estimated 10 years to complete.
At the heart of the project are progenies of the most ancient of all, the
Fortingall yew which stands in Aberfeldy, Perthshire. Estimated to be
3,000 years old, it is thought to be the oldest living tree in the UK, if not
in Europe.
RBGE also has a precious collection of plants propagated from famous
trees in England. These include cuttings from Down House in Kent, home
of the legendary naturalist Charles Darwin, and from Borrowdale in
Cumbria, made famous by William Wordsworth in his poem Yew Trees.
From Wales, there are plants from ancient yews which have stood for
hundreds of years in church yards at Buttington in Powys, St Digain’s in
Llangernyw and St James’s in Nantglyn, Denbighshire. Northern Ireland is
represented by cuttings from the ancient yews at Crom Castle in County
Fermanagh and the Republic of Ireland by small trees propagated from
heritage yews at Muckross Abbey in Killarney.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s Martin Gardner, Co-ordinator of its
International Conifer Conservation Programme, says: “This is the first
time that a botanic garden will be surrounded by a conservation hedge
and it is of great importance. There is a need to conserve old-growth
trees and remnant populations, and to safe-guard plant biodiversity in the
face of global environmental change.
“Once the hedge is established, I look forward to being asked why the yew
hedge is not uniform in growth, colour and texture. My response will
simply be ‘Ah, but that is biodiversity for you’.”
Among the first plantings, taking place today (8 April), are the young
trees from the Fortingall yew and other famous Scottish heritage trees
including Bruce’s Yew in Stirlingshire, thought to be a tree that gave
shelter to Robert the Bruce and his soldiers and the John Knox yew in
Renfrewshire under which it is claimed the famous reformer gave his first
sermon in 1556.
Around 20 per cent of the hedge will comprise of plants grown from
heritage trees. The rest will be from populations worldwide where the
Taxus genus is listed nationally as threatened. In total, 14 foreign
countries will be represented in the hedge including the Czech Republic,
Albania and Croatia. Seed collections have also come from yew forests in
Sochi, Russia as well as from Crimea.
There are many well-documented heritage old-growth yew trees to be
found in churchyards and stately homes. The common yew has always
played an important part in the culture of mankind through folklore,
medicine, warfare and religion and represents a powerful symbol of
resurrection.
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Note to editors:
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Paula Bushell Head of Marketing and Communication at the Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh on [email protected] or 07866 312545 or Shauna
Hay, Press and Marketing Manager on 0131 248 2900 or 07824 529028.
RBGE Yew Conservation Hedge Collection
Heritage Trees
England
Ankerwycke, Berkshire
Ashbrittle, St John the Baptists Church, Somerset
Bampton St Michael and All Angels Church, Devon
Borrowdale, Cumbria
Down House, Kent
Martindale Old Church, Cumbria
Much Marcle, St. Bartholomew Church, Herefordshire
Muncaster Castle, Herefordshire
Selborne, Hampshire
St Edwards Church, Stow-on-the-Wold, Warwickshire
Taxal, St James Church, Derbyshire
Twyford, St Mary's the Virgin Church, Hampshire
Scotland
Robert the Bruce’s Yew, Tarbet, Loch Lomond
S John Knox Yew, Finlaystone House, Renfrewshire
Stevenson’s Yew, Colinton Manse, Edinburgh
Craigends House, Renfrewshire
Crathes Castle, Grampian
Dryburgh Abbey, Borders
Dundonnell House, Highlands
Dunkeld Catherdra, Perthsire
Finlaystone House, Strathclyde
Fortingall Church, Perthshire
The Great Fraser Yew, Highlands
Kelburn Castle, Ayrshire
Loudon Castle, Ayrshire
Malleny Garden, Lothian
Ormiston Hall, Lothian
Pitmedden Garden, Grampian
Tarbat House, East Ross
Traquair House, Borders
Whittingehame Tower, East Lothian
Wales
Buttington All Saints Church, Powys
Llangernyw, St Digain Church, Conway
Nantglyn, St James Church, Denbighshire
Northern Ireland
Crom Castle, County Fermanagh
Republic of Ireland
Muckross Abbey, Killarney
Native Populations
Albania
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
England (Devon & Sussex)
Georgia
Hungary
Ireland (Republic of)
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Sweden
Ukraine