Himalayan yew

The Himalayan yew, also known as Taxus wallichiana, is a species of ornamental evergreen found in the Himalayas. It belongs to the genus Taxus, which comprises about eight species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. These plants can grow as shrubs or trees, reaching up to 25 meters (80 feet) in height. They have dark green foliage with leaves that appear in two rows along the branches.12

The foliage and seeds of yew plants contain poisonous alkaloids, though the fleshy aril surrounding the seed is not toxic. Yew wood is hard and fine-grained, historically used for cabinetwork and archery bows. Notably, the bark of some yew species, like the Pacific yew (T. brevifolia), contains taxol, an alkaloid effective in treating certain cancers.21