Ílhtelstexw Te Shxwelí

Yew, Pacific / Western

Taxus brevifolia

Origins
INDIGENOUS
INTRODUCED

Ecology

Commonly found in: moist forests as an understory tree, growing beneath Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir, and draped in mosses and lichens.

Uses

Medicine
  • Bark contains taxol, an effective cancer-fighting compound.
Material
  • Wood is very strong, flexible, and resists rot. Prized for fashioning tools and weapons, especially archery bows.