<p>From what I've seen here, in Europa, this definitely looks like some kind of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_baccata" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Taxus_baccata</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxaceae" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Taxaceae</a> family).</p>
<p>It most probably is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_canadensis" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Taxus canadensis</a> in Ontario. Also know as (local names): Canada yew, American yew, ground-hemlock, if du Canada, sapin trainard.</p>
<p>As it's always hard to tell based on photo that we didn't take ourselves, the best you can do is to compare its features with an identification key (either numerical/book).</p>
<p>The best online definition that I found for this species is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Shrubs to 2 m, usually monoecious, low, diffusely branched, straggling, spreading to prostrate. Bark reddish, very thin. Branches spreading and ascending. Leaves 1--2.5 cm ´ 1--2.4 mm, pale green abaxially, mostly without cuticular papillae along stomatal bands, dark green to yellow-green adaxially, epidermal cells as viewed in cross section of leaf wider than tall or ± isodiametric. Seed somewhat flattened, 4--5 mm. 2 n = 24.
Provided by: <a href="http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000459412#A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[A].Flora of North America @ efloras.org</a></p>
<p>Straggling shrub with ascending or rarely erect stems to 2 m; lvs 1–2 cm × 1–2 mm, abruptly narrowed to a sharp point, attached by the shortly petiolar base to a decurrent sterigma on the twig; scales of winter-buds keeled, ± acute; fleshy seed ca 5 mm; 2n=24. Coniferous woods and bogs; Nf. and Lab. to Minn. and se. Man., s. to Va., Ky., and Io.
Provided by: <a href="http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000459412#B" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[B].Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern US and Canada</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000459412" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000459412</a></p>
<p>See also:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&amp;taxon_id=233501254" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&amp;taxon_id=233501254</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/vh/specimen-list/?SummaryData=taxus+canadensis" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/vh/specimen-list/?SummaryData=taxus+canadensis</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2521219" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2521219</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/plYWy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/plYWy.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Source: <em>Arbustrum Americanum : The American grove, or, An alphabetical catalogue of forest trees and shrubs, natives of the American United States, arranged according to the Linnaean system : containing, the particular distinguishing characters of each genus, with plain, simple and familiar descriptions of the manner of growth, appearance, &amp;c. of their several species and varieties. : Also, some hints of their uses in medicine, dyes, and domestic oeconomy</em> (Marshall, Humphry, 1722-1801) DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.68506" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.68506</a><br />
Available at: <a href="https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/68506" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/68506</a> or: <a href="https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid-2562033R-bk" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid-2562033R-bk</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T12:02:35.117Z
What is the principle difference to Taxus baccata? And I find the statement confusing. First saying that it is a kind of T. baccata and then that it is T. canadensis. Perhaps you meant Taxus baccata s.l. or agg.?
Vladimir F Героям слава
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T12:06:10.277Z
"Taxus baccata L., known as European or English yew, is a conifer native to Europe." > https://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/media/atlas/Taxus_baccata.pdf
I don't know enough its spread outside Europe to make an assertion about its presence in Ontario actually.
swiss_knight
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T12:11:04.103Z
I do not think the natural spread is too relevant. The shrub is likely to be cultivated.  I only know the European one. But I was mainly pointing to the confusing statement in the first sentence.
Vladimir F Героям слава
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T20:51:20.250Z
2022-09-24T20:49:52.280Z
2022-09-24T20:49:52.280Z
swiss_knight
<p>The basic appearance is consistent with the family <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxaceae" rel="noreferrer"><em>Taxaceae</em></a>, commonly known as the Yew family. Primary indicators are the relatively distinctive shape and color of the arils (the red fleshy bits around the cones, which are actually technically not fruit), the fact that it’s a shrub, the fact that it was seen in Ontario (correct climate for most Yew species), and the fact that it’s being used as a decorative plant (Yews are very popular as decorative shrubs in that region of North America).</p>
<p>We can eliminate most of the genera relatively quickly:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Pseudotaxus</em> has only one species, which has white arils instead of red.</li>
<li><em>Austrotaxus</em> has only one species, which has a rather distinctively different aril than what is seen in the picture.</li>
<li><em>Cephalotaxus</em> species also have a rather distinctively different aril than what is seen in the picture.</li>
<li><em>Amentotaxus</em> species have rather distinctively different leaves (they’re much larger, among other differences).</li>
</ul>
<p>That just leaves us with the genera <em>Toreya</em> and <em>Taxus</em>, which account for most of the species of Yew globally. A <em>Toreya</em> species is not particularly likely, as they are not generally used much in that part of North America as decorative plants, which just leaves <em>Taxus</em>.</p>
<p>My first guess given the region and apparent lack of male cones would be <em>Taxus canadensis</em> (the Canadian Yew), but the stated height and growth habits seen by comparing the 2009 and 2021 pictures don’t quite agree with that (<em>T. canadensis</em> generally does not get much more than 2.5 meters (about 8-9 feet) tall, and tends to grow <em>out</em> much more than <em>up</em>.</p>
<p>More likely, it’s a hybrid of <em>T. canadensis</em> and <em>T. cuspidata</em> (the Japanese Yew), which is a relatively common variety used as a decorative plant in the Midwestern and North Eastern US, as well as South Eastern Canada.</p>
<hr />
<p>As a side note, irrespective of what exact species this is, be careful around it. All parts of every species in the family <em>Taxacae</em> except for the arils are highly toxic to humans year round. Yew poisoning can easily be lethal, and currently has no known antidote (though in theory most of the symptoms are treatable).</p>
<p>Touching the plant is fine, but you should be careful handling any clippings or sawdust from cutting it, and definitely do not eat any part of it (the arils are theoretically fine to eat, but the seeds they surround are actually the most toxic part of the plant, so it’s generally not worth the risk).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-22T13:34:42.873Z
We used to taste the arils (pericarp) quite commonly. They are safe. Some people also made a jam from them, but I would not recommend that.
Vladimir F Героям слава
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-23T01:50:11.977Z
I remember a funeral parlor surrounded by yew shrubs that my siblings and I passed on our way walking to and from school. I ate these berries by the literal handful every day they were available; my mother had told me it was fine as long as I was sure to spit out the seeds. I was never poisoned that I know of, so I think you might be overcautious. (I tended to listen to my mother.)
anongoodnurse
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-02T15:25:13.680Z
@anongoodnurse its not over caution, Taxine alkaloids is very lethal, and rapid acting if you failed to spit out the seeds you would have died. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxine_alkaloids
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-02T16:22:24.997Z
@John - But I'm not dead, am I? My siblings also ate the fruit of the yew shrubs we passed. Surely if it were as toxic as you imply, one of us must have become sick, yet we never did, and we're all alive save one who died of war-related injuries. I'm not advocating eating the seeds or chewing on any other part of the plant. Not advocating anything at all. Just relaying my experience with yews.
anongoodnurse
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-21T14:23:08.273Z
2022-09-21T14:23:08.273Z
Austin Hemmelgarn
# Conifer with red fruit
Posted by: username_0 on 2022-09-20
What kind of conifer is this?

* Red fruit
* Broad needles; not clusters
* 12 feet tall; north wall of apartment building
* East of Toronto, Ontario
* September 20, 2022
* *Hint: click the photos a couple of times to zoom in*

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/mPI96.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/mPI96.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Od4qW.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Od4qW.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/1xKrf.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/1xKrf.png)

---

Street view 2009:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/UD2Vj.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/UD2Vj.png)

Street View 2021:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/xUMoz.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/xUMoz.jpg)
**Tags:** species-identification botany
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You shouldn't eat anything that you've not identified with 150% certainty, which means this comment is technically not required. Still: the entire yew bush is poisonous.  
> **username_2**: Yew trees grow to 5000 years old and have been associated with cemetaries since pre-christian times. https://www.google.com/search?q=very+old+yew+tree&sxsrf=ALiCzsbCzlHolFTxlVLfuPM94rWqDyOrFg:1664074956444&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH-aGl-q76AhW-X_EDHZYJAsUQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1366&bih=620&dpr=1.88  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_5 on 2022-09-21. Score: 15 | Accepted answer
The basic appearance is consistent with the family [*Taxaceae*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxaceae), commonly known as the Yew family. Primary indicators are the relatively distinctive shape and color of the arils (the red fleshy bits around the cones, which are actually technically not fruit), the fact that it’s a shrub, the fact that it was seen in Ontario (correct climate for most Yew species), and the fact that it’s being used as a decorative plant (Yews are very popular as decorative shrubs in that region of North America).

We can eliminate most of the genera relatively quickly:

* *Pseudotaxus* has only one species, which has white arils instead of red.
* *Austrotaxus* has only one species, which has a rather distinctively different aril than what is seen in the picture.
* *Cephalotaxus* species also have a rather distinctively different aril than what is seen in the picture.
* *Amentotaxus* species have rather distinctively different leaves (they’re much larger, among other differences).

That just leaves us with the genera *Toreya* and *Taxus*, which account for most of the species of Yew globally. A *Toreya* species is not particularly likely, as they are not generally used much in that part of North America as decorative plants, which just leaves *Taxus*.

My first guess given the region and apparent lack of male cones would be *Taxus canadensis* (the Canadian Yew), but the stated height and growth habits seen by comparing the 2009 and 2021 pictures don’t quite agree with that (*T. canadensis* generally does not get much more than 2.5 meters (about 8-9 feet) tall, and tends to grow *out* much more than *up*.

More likely, it’s a hybrid of *T. canadensis* and *T. cuspidata* (the Japanese Yew), which is a relatively common variety used as a decorative plant in the Midwestern and North Eastern US, as well as South Eastern Canada.

---

As a side note, irrespective of what exact species this is, be careful around it. All parts of every species in the family *Taxacae* except for the arils are highly toxic to humans year round. Yew poisoning can easily be lethal, and currently has no known antidote (though in theory most of the symptoms are treatable).

Touching the plant is fine, but you should be careful handling any clippings or sawdust from cutting it, and definitely do not eat any part of it (the arils are theoretically fine to eat, but the seeds they surround are actually the most toxic part of the plant, so it’s generally not worth the risk).
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2022-09-22): We used to taste the arils (pericarp) quite commonly. They are safe. Some people also made a jam from them, but I would not recommend that.  
> **username_6** (2022-09-23): I remember a funeral parlor surrounded by yew shrubs that my siblings and I passed on our way walking to and from school. I ate these berries by the literal handful every day they were available; my mother had told me it was fine as long as I was sure to spit out the seeds. I was never poisoned that I know of, so I think you might be overcautious. (I tended to listen to my mother.)  
> **username_7** (2024-09-02): @anongoodnurse its not over caution, Taxine alkaloids is very lethal, and rapid acting if you failed to spit out the seeds you would have died. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxine_alkaloids  
> **username_6** (2024-09-02): @John - But I'm not dead, am I? My siblings also ate the fruit of the yew shrubs we passed. Surely if it were as toxic as you imply, one of us must have become sick, yet we never did, and we're all alive save one who died of war-related injuries. I'm not advocating eating the seeds or chewing on any other part of the plant. Not advocating anything at all. Just relaying my experience with yews.  
---
### Answer by username_3 on 2022-09-20. Score: 9
From what I've seen here, in Europa, this definitely looks like some kind of [Taxus\_baccata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_baccata) ([Taxaceae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxaceae) family).

It most probably is a [Taxus canadensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_canadensis) in Ontario. Also know as (local names): Canada yew, American yew, ground-hemlock, if du Canada, sapin trainard.

As it's always hard to tell based on photo that we didn't take ourselves, the best you can do is to compare its features with an identification key (either numerical/book).

The best online definition that I found for this species is:

> Shrubs to 2 m, usually monoecious, low, diffusely branched, straggling, spreading to prostrate. Bark reddish, very thin. Branches spreading and ascending. Leaves 1--2.5 cm ´ 1--2.4 mm, pale green abaxially, mostly without cuticular papillae along stomatal bands, dark green to yellow-green adaxially, epidermal cells as viewed in cross section of leaf wider than tall or ± isodiametric. Seed somewhat flattened, 4--5 mm. 2 n = 24.
> Provided by: [[A].Flora of North America @ efloras.org](http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000459412#A)
>
> Straggling shrub with ascending or rarely erect stems to 2 m; lvs 1–2 cm × 1–2 mm, abruptly narrowed to a sharp point, attached by the shortly petiolar base to a decurrent sterigma on the twig; scales of winter-buds keeled, ± acute; fleshy seed ca 5 mm; 2n=24. Coniferous woods and bogs; Nf. and Lab. to Minn. and se. Man., s. to Va., Ky., and Io.
> Provided by: [[B].Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern US and Canada](http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000459412#B)

Source: <http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000459412>

See also:

* <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501254>
* <http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/vh/specimen-list/?SummaryData=taxus+canadensis>
* <http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2521219>

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/plYWy.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/plYWy.png)

Source: *Arbustrum Americanum : The American grove, or, An alphabetical catalogue of forest trees and shrubs, natives of the American United States, arranged according to the Linnaean system : containing, the particular distinguishing characters of each genus, with plain, simple and familiar descriptions of the manner of growth, appearance, &c. of their several species and varieties. : Also, some hints of their uses in medicine, dyes, and domestic oeconomy* (Marshall, Humphry, 1722-1801) DOI: <https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.68506>  
Available at: <https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/68506> or: <https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid-2562033R-bk>
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2022-09-25): What is the principle difference to Taxus baccata? And I find the statement confusing. First saying that it is a kind of T. baccata and then that it is T. canadensis. Perhaps you meant Taxus baccata s.l. or agg.?  
> **username_3** (2022-09-25): "Taxus baccata L., known as European or English yew, is a conifer native to Europe." > https://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/media/atlas/Taxus_baccata.pdf
I don't know enough its spread outside Europe to make an assertion about its presence in Ontario actually.  
> **username_4** (2022-09-25): I do not think the natural spread is too relevant. The shrub is likely to be cultivated.  I only know the European one. But I was mainly pointing to the confusing statement in the first sentence.  
---
