Which tree species is famous as the source of English longbow wood?

English yew is the tree species famous as the traditional source of wood for English longbows. Its scientific name is Taxus baccata, a long-lived evergreen native across much of Europe and parts of western Asia and North Africa.

Yew was prized because its wood combines two useful materials in one stave: resilient sapwood on the outside and strong, compression-resistant heartwood inside. A bowyer could shape these contrasting layers into a powerful spring-like weapon. Yew was preferred, although ash, elm and other woods were also used when supplies or local traditions dictated.

The longbow trade placed heavy pressure on mature yew populations. England’s first documented import of yew bowstaves dates to 1294, and a 1472 English law required ships entering English ports to bring bowstaves. By the late medieval period, much good-quality yew had been depleted in parts of Europe.

The English longbow is therefore associated with yew, not because every bow used it, but because yew produced the iconic high-performance stave. The tree is also notably poisonous: most of its tissues contain taxine alkaloids.