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Yew: toxicity, first aid and care
Yew (Taxus baccata): severe for cats, severe for dogs, severe for small children. The toxic principle, the signs, what to do, and how to grow it.
Cats: SevereDogs: SevereChildren: SevereEmergency risk
Also sold as: English yew, common yew.
This is a reference table, not a diagnosis and not veterinary or medical advice. It cannot tell you how much of a plant matters for a particular child or a particular animal — that depends on body weight, on the part eaten and on how long ago. If a person or an animal has eaten part of a plant, phone the poison information centre or a clinician; do not wait for symptoms, and do not make anyone vomit unless you are told to.
What is in it
Toxic principle: Taxine alkaloids — Alkaloids and other systemic poisons.
Taxine alkaloids block the flow of calcium and sodium in heart-muscle cells, and the effect is fast and hard to treat — there is no antidote. Needles, bark, wood and seed all carry it, and dried clippings stay toxic, which is why yew hedge trimmings tipped over a fence into a paddock are a classic cause of dead horses and cattle.
What it looks like when it goes wrong
Frequently none at all before sudden collapse, which is what makes yew unusual. Where signs do appear they are trembling, difficulty breathing, a slow or chaotic heartbeat, and vomiting.
What to do
Emergency treatment on suspicion, not on symptoms. Phone a poison centre or a veterinary clinic immediately and say yew. Never dump hedge clippings where any animal can reach them, and never compost them into a heap animals browse.
| Country | Poison information centre | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Mürgistusteabekeskus (Health Board) | 16662 | Round the clock; 112 for an emergency |
| Finland | Myrkytystietokeskus (HUS) | 0800 147 111 | Free, round the clock |
| Latvia | Saindēšanās un zāļu informācijas centrs | 67042473 | Round the clock |
| Sweden | Giftinformationscentralen | 010-456 67 00 | Non-urgent advice; 112 in an emergency |
| Norway | Giftinformasjonen | 22 59 13 00 | Round the clock |
| Denmark | Giftlinjen (Bispebjerg Hospital) | 82 12 12 12 | Round the clock |
Anywhere in the European Union, 112 reaches emergency services and can put you through. Lithuania's poison information bureau (Apsinuodijimų kontrolės ir informacijos biuras) publishes its own round-the-clock line; if you do not have it to hand, use 112. For an animal, your own veterinary clinic or its out-of-hours service is the first call — human poison centres do not advise on animals in every country.
How to grow it
| Condition | What it wants |
|---|---|
| Light | Sun or deep shade — one of the few conifers that accepts full shade |
| Water | Established plants are drought-tolerant; keep new ones watered |
| Temperature | Hardy through the Baltic and southern Nordic region |
The best formal hedging conifer for this climate and one of very few that regrows from old bare wood, so a neglected yew hedge can be cut hard back and will refurnish. It insists on drainage: yew dies in wet clay. Clip once in late summer for a crisp edge.
What it gets confused with
The red fleshy aril around the seed is the one part that is not toxic, which has generated a folklore of "yew berries are safe". The seed sitting inside that flesh is very toxic indeed, and no small child separates the two reliably. Treat the whole berry as off limits and site the hedge away from where children play.
A plant that is not on the toxic lists
If you are deciding what to keep in a home with a cat, a dog or a small child, this one fills a similar role and is not flagged by the veterinary services.
Others that work the same way
Alkaloids and other systemic poisons — these behave alike, and what you would do about them is alike too.
Autumn crocus
Colchicine
Castor bean
Ricin (in the seed)
Deadly nightshade and bittersweet
Tropane alkaloids (atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine); solanine in Solanum
Monkshood
Aconitine alkaloids
Sago palm
Cycasin and related azoxyglycosides
True lily and daylily
Unidentified nephrotoxin (cats only)
Source: Royal Horticultural Society — potentially harmful garden plants · checked 2026-09-06
Care guidance is standard horticultural practice for a cool-temperate northern climate. Poison-centre numbers are listed on the hub page and are worth confirming against your own country's health service.
Frequently asked questions
Is yew toxic to cats?
The veterinary lists rate it "severe" for cats and "severe" for dogs. The toxic principle is taxine alkaloids. Taxine alkaloids block the flow of calcium and sodium in heart-muscle cells, and the effect is fast and hard to treat — there is no antidote. Needles, bark, wood and seed all carry it, and dried clippings stay toxic, which is why yew hedge trimmings tipped over a fence into a paddock are a classic cause of dead horses and cattle.
What should I do if my dog eats yew?
Emergency treatment on suspicion, not on symptoms. Phone a poison centre or a veterinary clinic immediately and say yew.
Is yew dangerous for a small child?
The verdict for a child who chews or swallows part of it is "severe". Frequently none at all before sudden collapse, which is what makes yew unusual. Where signs do appear they are trembling, difficulty breathing, a slow or chaotic heartbeat, and vomiting.
How do you care for yew?
Light: Sun or deep shade — one of the few conifers that accepts full shade. Water: Established plants are drought-tolerant; keep new ones watered. Temperature: Hardy through the Baltic and southern Nordic region. The best formal hedging conifer for this climate and one of very few that regrows from old bare wood, so a neglected yew hedge can be cut hard back and will refurnish.
What is yew confused with?
The red fleshy aril around the seed is the one part that is not toxic, which has generated a folklore of "yew berries are safe". The seed sitting inside that flesh is very toxic indeed, and no small child separates the two reliably.
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