What is yew used for?
Uses of yew Anti-cancer compounds are harvested from the foliage of Taxus baccata and used in modern medicine. Yew trees contain the highly poisonous taxane alkaloids that have been developed as anti-cancer drugs. Overview. Yew is a tree. People use the bark, branch tips, and needles to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, yew is used for treating diphtheria, tapeworms, swollen tonsils (tonsillitis), seizures (epilepsy), muscle and joint pain (rheumatism), urinary tract conditions, and liver conditions.Burning Yew is a dense softwood that burns slowly and produces a lot of heat and a pleasant scent. However, the toxins emitted when yew is burned are also poisonous. Safety You should not burn yew leaves, seeds, or bark, and you should not use yew wood to make cooking or eating implements.Yew trees are very poisonous and can be fatal, especially the leaves, if consumed. Also, in summer, pollen released from these trees can cause hallucinations and shifts in consciousness.Yew grows in a wide range of conditions. It is extremely tolerant of temperature, humidity and extremes of acid or alkaline soil. The bark is thin, scaly brown, and comes off in flakes aligned with the stem. It is slow-growing, but very long lived.The Druids valued yew trees greatly, often planting them on sacred sites which were then adopted by early Christians as places to build churches on. Yew trees may have been planted deliberately in churchyards too, due to their association with immortality and the cycle of life and death.
What is yew used for in medicine?
Plant uses Pacific yew bark is the source of paclitaxel, a medicine used to treat lung, breast and ovarian cancer. Many Native American and First Nation peoples would use Pacific yew bark in traditional medicines. The drug Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) is made from the bark of Pacific yew trees.One such drug is taxol, which is isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. Taxol inhibits mitosis in cells, which keeps cancer cells from multiplying. It’s now the drug of choice for some breast cancers, ovarian and lung cancer, as well as those of the head or neck.Potential uses: The drug Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) is made from the bark of Pacific yew trees. The drug Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel) is made from the needles of European yew trees. Taxol and Taxotere are approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration to treat breast and other cancers.Taxol is a widely used chemotherapy drug – it has been used to treat millions of ovarian, breast, and lung cancer patients. Today, it’s mainly produced by extracting its chemical precursor, baccatin III, from yew trees.
What is the problem with yews?
Yews are notorious for quickly yellowing and dying in wet or water-logged soil. Even a brief period of water-logged soil can result in root rot and plant death. The yew plant is a shrub with evergreen-like leaves. Yew poisoning occurs when someone eats pieces of this plant. The plant is most poisonous in winter.While the entire yew hedge or tree is considered to be poisonous, the berries and more specifically, the seeds of the plant are recorded to contain the highest concentration levels of taxine. Initial symptoms of yew poisoning can include: nausea and vomiting.All parts of yew are toxic, except the berry-like fruits (although the seeds inside them are highly poisonous). So to be on the safe side, wear gloves when handling hedge clippings, taking cuttings or sowing seeds.Sudden death, often within 2-3 hours of ingestion, is the most common observation with yew poisoning . Animals are often found dead next to yew bushes or clippings. Prior to death, muscle trembling, incoordination, nervousness, difficulty breathing, slow heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions may be observed .Yew is a common evergreen shrub used in landscaping that is extremely poisonous to all species. This includes dogs, cats, horses, cattle, birds, and humans. According to Pet Poison Helpline, all parts of the plant are very poisonous, including the succulent red berries, as they contain taxines.
What does yew do to humans?
Yew can cause severe stomach problems. It can also cause the heart rate to slow down or speed up dangerously. Signs of poisoning might include nausea, dry mouth, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, weakness, nervousness, heart problems, and many others. Death has occurred after taking 50-100 grams of yew needles. Signs of yew poisoning are non-specific, including nausea, vomiting, impaired colour vision, abdominal pain or muscle spasms. Clinical symptoms include dilated pupils, dyspnoea, tachycardia in the earlier phase followed later by bradycardia, tonic–clonic convulsions, somnolence or even unconsciousness.The yew tree (Taxus baccata) and a related species common to gardeners, Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) is known to be one of the most poisonous woody plants in the world, with all components of the tree, excepting the fleshy red part of the berry containing lethal amounts of taxine, a toxic alkaloid found in the yew.While the entire yew hedge or tree is considered to be poisonous, the berries and more specifically, the seeds of the plant are recorded to contain the highest concentration levels of taxine. Initial symptoms of yew poisoning can include: nausea and vomiting.All parts of the yew plant are considered poisonous. Yew can cause severe stomach problems. It can also cause the heart rate to slow down or speed up dangerously.The fruit of the yew bush (taxus) is edible as long as you remove the seed. It has a sweet gelatinous fruit that is good for jam or a snack in the garden. The seed contains taxol so proceed with caution! DO NOT EAT THE SEED.
What is special about yew?
They are some of the oldest living species in Europe, with some trees thought to be over 2000 years old. Yews have a deep-rooted history and sacred ties which is why you find the magnificent ancient trees growing in churchyards. The yew tree’s presence in churchyards has earned it the nickname ‘tree of the dead’. As an evergreen tree, the yew is symbolic of everlasting life and rebirth; it was held sacred by Druids in pre-Christian times. Yew came to symbolise death and resurrection for the ancient Celts which continued into the Christian era; yew branches were carried on Palm Sunday and at funerals for many centuries.The yew tree has been associated with death and the journey of the soul from this life to the next for thousands of years. It was sacred to Hecate, Ancient Greek Goddess of Death, Witchcraft and Necromancy, and was said to purify the dead as they entered the underworld of Hades.Celts believed yew twigs held healing powers and preserved the dead. Later, Christians adopted the yew as a symbol of renewal, integrating it into Easter traditions and Yew Tree Folklore. Yew twigs were often buried with the dead for various reasons, including protection against the black plague.In Celtic lore, the yew tree symbolizes death and resurrection and is used in rituals linked to magic, fertility and power.In Christianity, both the number nine and the yew tree were symbols of death and resurrection. According to Mark 15:25 “Jesus died on the ninth hour“, yet he was resurrected on the third day. Some Christians also believe that Jesus was crucified on a yew tree or a cross made of yew.
Why is yew so toxic?
The toxicity of yew leaves is due to the presence of alkaloids known as taxines, of which taxine B is suspected as being one of the most poisonous. Taxines are also known to be present in the bark and seeds of yew, but are absent from the fleshy red arils. All parts of the plant green or dried except the fleshy part of the aril surrounding the seed are toxic. The highest concentration of alkaloid is generally found in the leaves in winter time. Adult cattle and horses have been fatally poisoned with as little as 8-16 ozs of yew leaves. Dried leaves are toxic.The Common Yew (Taxus baccata) is an ornamental tree. The taxine alkaloids contained in yew berries, needles or bark are poisonous. The lethal dose for an adult is reported to be 50 g of yew needles. Patients who ingest a lethal dose frequently die due to cardiogenic shock, in spite of resuscitation efforts.Yew – (Scientific Name – Taxus Baccata) Slow burn and produces a great, intense heat. Burning yew also produces a pleasant scent, which makes it stand out a little more over other woods.Grand Fir has the closest resemblance to Yew needles. Grand Fir smells very obviously of Grapefruit and Mandarin when the needles or branches are crushed or bruised. Yew has no fragrance.The Common Yew (Taxus baccata) is an ornamental tree. The taxine alkaloids contained in yew berries, needles or bark are poisonous. The lethal dose for an adult is reported to be 50 g of yew needles. Patients who ingest a lethal dose frequently die due to cardiogenic shock, in spite of resuscitation efforts.