Solved Can anyone identify this exactly?

I realise this thread started almost a year ago.

Just a few comments to clarify.
Taxus bacatta is the common, very dark green, English yew that can grow huge and live for centuries.
It can be male or female.
It is very popular for topiary.
It is fairly cheap to buy.


There is a famous hedge of yew at Powis castle.
yew hedge powis castle - Recherche Google

Taxus baccata | common yew Conifers/RHS

There are wide growing yews with golden foliage.
eg.Taxus baccata Semperaurea a male tree.


Yew - Plant finder - Knights Garden Centres
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Then there is the much narrower, columnar, upright, female Irish yew with dark green foliage.
Taxus baccata fastigiata.
My young specimen.

An old one in Beauly church yard.


Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata' (f) | Irish yew Shrubs/RHS

There are also colomnar yews that have golden foliage.
They are much slower growing.
egs below.

A.Taxus baccata fastigiatas aurea.
Taxus baccata Fastigiata Aurea Group | common yew Fastigiata Aurea Group Conifers/RHS

B and C grow slowly and are very expensive to buy.

B.Taxus baccata Standishii is a yew that is female so will have the red berries.
Pic below is my very baby Taxus baccata Standishii which was planted a few years ago
Taxus baccata 'Standishii' (f) | yew 'Standishii' Shrubs/RHS

C.Taxus baccata David..this is a male tree...no red berries.

Taxus baccata 'David' (m) | yew 'David' Conifers/RHS

I hope this helps.
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P.S.
The oldest yew in UK is in Perthshire at Fortingall.
Quote wiki.
"The Fortingall Yew is an ancient European yew (Taxus baccata) in the churchyard of the village of Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland. Considered one of the oldest trees in Britain, modern estimates place its age at an average of 5,000 years"
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Below is taken at Duffryn gardens showing TAXUS BACCATA AND TAXUS BACCATA SEMPERAUREA.

 

Thanks to all for information and photos: I will add some compost and move the pot to a shady position. I try to keep the soil moist.. Fingers crossed.

 

So sorry got carried away with Yew's in post above!

Just to show how slow they are ..this yew was planted in Balmoral castle by Queen Victoria in 1899.

 

I have a Golden Fastigiat Yew growing in my garden. It is about 4/5 ft tall and must be 25 years old. It was given to me as what I thought was a tiny rooted cutting. The friend who gave it to me made a big deal about it being very rare but as it was bought in Bracknell Market and had no label I took that with a large pinch of salt. I grew it in an alpine sink for several years before potting it up to bring with me when I moved to Cornwall 20 years ago. It is growing in open ground now, very, very, very slowly. I have trimmed the top slightly to shape it, otherwise, healthy neglect.
My soil is shallow, thin, impoverished and exposed to the SW gales etc. so not ideal conditions, it might also explain why it is growing so slowly.
It has lovely dense, golden foliage and is a neat, elongated globular shape, so far it has not produced flowers and fruit since it was a baby when it had 1 berry on it.

 

Nothing helpful to add really but out of interest I thought I'd mention that yews don't actually have berries, they have arils, which are like open ended fleshy cups surrounding a seed. It is also the seed which is the toxic part, the fleshy red bit is ok to eat but I still wouldn't try it myself.

 

You are completely correct..I was trying to keep it simple by saying "berry."
Most lay folk wouldn't have a clue what an aril is.

Quote www...
The yew tree produces a bright red, berry-like fruit called an aril, which surrounds a poisonous seed. While the fleshy part of the fruit (the aril) is attractive to birds and can be eaten, the seed inside is toxic and should not be consumed. Yew trees are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are on separate trees. The female flowers develop into the red arils


1 - 3 Male flowers.
4 - 7 Female fruits.

More...Yews have often been planted in church yards..to ward off evil spirits maybe.
They are also thought to be ancient landmarks for paths and droving roads.

Quote www...
AI Overview

"The concept of "ley lines" involves straight alignments of ancient sites, and some believe yew trees were deliberately placed along these lines. While the idea of ley lines is not universally accepted, some theories suggest yews were strategically positioned as landmarks or to mark energy pathways. Yews are also strongly associated with death, the afterlife, and spiritual significance, further connecting them to the concept of ley lines in some belief systems. "

 

But birds do.
And foxes.

One of mine a youngster, planted around 1985 and trimmed hard on a few occasions.




I've take a fair few cutting from it over the years, its a male plant and spreads clouds of pollen in early spring, but no berries/arils, I have a prostrate form in the front garden that often produces berries /arils.

 

"Most lay folk wouldn't have a clue what an aril is.."

QED. I certainly didn't!

I have moved both plants into a more sheltered spot, out of dirtect sunlight; added compost, and will make sure the soil is kept moist.

Just have to wait and see whether the languishing one picks up.

 

Aril is just one of those odd things I remember that I don't really need to know, as berry works fine. There are a small few that might find it interesting but for the majority it pretty pointless. It's similar to knowing that roses have prickles rather than thorns but again it makes no real difference to anyone.