Taxus baccata is commonly called the European yew, a poisonous Old World conifer whose fleshy red aril is the plant’s only non-toxic part.
The European yew is an evergreen species in the family Taxaceae, native across much of Europe, parts of western Asia and North Africa. Unlike ordinary berry-producing plants, it makes a modified seed structure: the red, sweet aril surrounds but does not enclose the seed completely. The aril itself lacks the plant’s principal toxins, but the seed inside is poisonous and must not be crushed or swallowed.
Leaves, bark and seeds contain taxine alkaloids, which can interfere with sodium and calcium channels and severely affect the heart. Dried yew material remains dangerous, so fallen foliage and pruning waste can also pose risks to livestock and pets.
The species is historically important as well as toxic. Its strong, elastic wood was prized for English longbows, and yew compounds helped inspire medicines including taxol-related chemotherapy drugs. “Yew berry” is therefore a misleading everyday label: the red covering is not a true berry and does not make the seed safe.