- Yew - Taxus baccata | Plants | Kew
The yew tree (Taxus baccata) is poisonous if any parts are eaten, and is also known as the 'tree of the dead' because they are often found in graveyards
- Taxus baccata - Wikipedia
All parts of the plant except the fleshy aril are poisonous, with toxins that can be absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, and transpiration through the skin The wood has been prized for making longbows and for musical instruments such as lutes
- The History of the Yew Tree, “The Tree of the Dead” - The Paris Review
The long-lived European yew tree— Taxus baccata, the tree of the dead, the tree of poisonous seeds—bears witness to the antiquity of the churchyard and shades its “rugged elms,” and the mounds and furrows of its graves: The yew of legend is old and lays claim to immemorial presence
- The toxic nature of yew, the tree of the dead - Chemistry World
With ages measured in millennia, a trio of evergreens – Scotland’s Fortingall yew, Wales’ Defynnog yew, and England’s Ankerwycke yew – are among the oldest trees in the UK Each is Taxus baccata, a species with a designation seemingly at odds with its longevity – the tree of the dead
- Yew – tree of death and longevity « IMPERIUM ROMANUM
The common yew (Taxus baccata) is an evergreen conifer native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa While it is a popular ornamental plant today, its significance in ancient times was quite different
- Death and Longevity: The Mysterious Yew
For Celtic druids, this sacred tree created a link between the living and the dead They used them in their religious practices and planted them in cemeteries, adding to the tree’s sinister aura
- Taxus baccata (common yew) description - conifers. org
Taxus baccata has played a major role in several religious traditions This may have occurred because the tree is poisonous, valued for a variety of medicinal purposes, and symbolic of eternal life due to its evergreenness, exceptional longevity, and the wood's resistance to decay
- The Spiritual Power of the Yew Tree in Celtic Myths
The yew tree, known scientifically as Taxus baccata, holds a significant place in Celtic culture and mythology Revered for its resilience and longevity, the yew tree symbolizes both life and death, embodying the complexities of existence that the Celts cherished
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