NATIVE YEWTREE: F
This is a very attractive softwood, however when using solid Yewtree, live knots, heart shake, ingrown bark, white calcium deposits, even holes and dead knots should all be accepted as part of the growth characteristics and used as an attractive feature of this timber. For this reason we will only offer Yewtree subject to inspection, as many customers see Yewtree veneered furniture and wish to match this in the solid. Trying to do this can be very wasteful and expensive. A small stock is normally available with round logs held in stock for sawing to customers requirements.

Production: T/T, 1/SE, S/E.

Taxus baccata
Family: Taxaceae

Commercial names: Common Yew, European Yew.

Distribution: Scandinavia, Europe, UK. Russia, Asia Minor, N. Africa, Burma and the Himalayas.

General description: The heartwood colour is golden orange-brown streaked with dark purple, mauve and brown patches with veins, tiny knots and clusters of in-growing bark. The grain is straight, but sometimes curly and irregular, it has a distinctive white to cream sapwood, giving an attractive contrast to the heartwood. The texture is medium. Weight is about 670 kg/m3 (42lb/ft3); specific gravity 0.67.

Mechanical properties: The bending and crushing strengths are medium, with low stiffness and resistance to shock loads. Yewtree has a good steam bending classification, with straight grained air dried material for preference.

Seasoning: Yewtree dries rapidly and well with little degrade, although care is necessary to avoid shakes developing and existing shakes extending. Distortion is negligible. There is small movement in service.

Working properties: Moderately difficult to work, but straight grained material works readily and can be planed to a good smooth finish; irregular, curly or cross grained material tends to tear out. Nailing may need pre-boring, and the oily nature of the wood demands some care in gluing. It can be polished to a beautiful finish.

Durability: The wood is durable, but not immune from common furniture beetle attack. It is resistant to preservative treatment and biodegradation.

Uses: For centuries this was the wood used for bowstaves by the bowmen of England. It is excellent for turnery, some carving, furniture making, interior and exterior joinery, fences, gates, posts, chairs, doors, tables, and rustic furniture. In veneer form it requires careful preparation, patching, flattening and handling, due to its buckled, fragile nature. It is an exceptionally decorative veneer used for every kind of application, including panelling, cabinetwork and marquetry.

JBT Comments: Yewtree is a very dense softwood. Yew trees are to be found in nearly every British churchyard: in mythology because their evergreen quality is the symbol of everlasting life, but perhaps in reality because the poisonous foliage is a deterrent to browsing animals. Yewtree is one timber which will last longer than any other timber in the ground and therefore makes excellent gate posts needing no preservative. There is a constant demand for Yewtree veneer for furniture production, with round logs of veneer quality demanding prices of £130ft3 or more, the quality of planking Yewtree logs can be variable. When buying solid Yewtree, live knots, heart shake, ingrown bark, white calcium deposits, even holes and dead knots should all be accepted as part of the growth characteristics, and used as an attractive feature of this timber. For this reason we will only offer Yewtree subject to inspection, as many customers see Yewtree veneered furniture and wish to match this in the solid. Trying to do this can be very wasteful and expensive.

Grade: The only way to grade Yewtree is by one’s own personal rules. We do not have any grading rules for Yewtree, we leave it to the customer. We stress this is only sold subject to inspection.

Specification: This is one species where the very small young trees are often clearer of defect than the older logs. We offer through and through boards; 4ft and longer, 3ins and wider.

Stockholding: 1,500 cubic feet in kiln dried and air dried stock; 1in to 3ins thickness. We normally hold up to 1,000 cubic feet of round logs which can be selected and sawn to customers requirements but are offered strictly subject to inspection.