The needle-leaved, evergreen yew tree (Taxus baccata) is mainly a plant of well-drained calcareous soils in Wales. It is a commonly planted tree in churchyards, parks and gardens, but rarely occurs as a natural woodland type. The best stands in Wales are found towards the south of the Wye Valley, where it grows both as the understorey in lime/ash woodland and as large yew-dominated stands on the steep rocky slopes and crags. At this location, it is protected under the EC Habitats Directive as an example of the ‘Taxus baccata woods of the British Isles (91J0)’ Annex I habitat. The Wye Valley woods are considered representative of yew ‘Taxus baccata woods’ in the south-west of the habitat’s range.
