Yew tree - The meaning of trees

Yew (Taxus baccata)

ancient yew Borrowdale April 2004 © Fred Hageneder

Yew and misconceptions in religious history

The cultural history of the yew tree reveals surprising insights into the origins of the Nordic World Tree, Yggdrasil, usually hidden by orthodox doctrine.

Boy standing enchanted among trees in the evening sun. © Jerome Berquez/Fotolia

Trees for Life – (2) The inside

Trees play a huge role in the personal and collective psyche of all humans, not just for obvious practical reasons (food, shelter, air quality) but also for being sacred gates to other realms of consciousness and experience.

Three small children walk around an ancient yew tree. © Toby Hindson

Yew make me feel so young

The origins of the Yew tree reach back to the Upper Jurassic, the age of dinosaurs. Today the oldest trees of Europe need a better conservation status.

Red yew aril covered by winter ice. © Christian Wolf

The Wonders of Yew

A concise introduction to the oldest native tree species of Europe, its surprises and enigmas both in botany and cultural history.

ancient yew tree in the Yenice reserve, northern Turkey. © Fred Hageneder

The natural history of yew in Europe

A major study of the genetic evolution of European yew reveals the origins and migration pattern of this unique tree, and its response to regional climate.

logos of the Church in Wales and the AYG in front of the ancient yew tree at Llansoy. Photo © Peter Norton

Protection for the ancient yews of Wales

There is no legal protection for the ancient yew trees of Britain. With the help of the AYG, the Church in Wales is pioneering a change for the better.

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