1000/458: 24 May 2011: Yew Tree

1000/458: 24 May 2011: Yew Tree a photo by nmonckton on Flickr.

This is, I'm pretty sure, a yew tree. Yews are pretty intersting as trees go. they are traditionally found in English churchyards - not sure why. It may have been to secure supplies for bow manufacture, because the wood is especially suitable for this purpose. Every part of the tree is poisonous except the red bit of the berry, and the leaves are poisonous even when dry. They are particualrly poisonous to horses and other livestock. According to Wikipedia death can occur so quickly that often the symptoms of yew poisoning are not recognised.

They are also very long lived - there is good evidence for some being 2000 years old, and siome suggestion that there may be examples as much as 5000 years old.

Setting this aside I love the fresh green of the new leaves in spring/early summer, and that's why I took this shot. the forget-me-nots and the churchyards setting seem typically English as well.