In former times, because the yew's wood was not considered straight enough, it was not valued for making furniture or other utensils. But once people in Taiwan were well clothed and well fed, and their aspirations turned from the simply utilitarian towards a desire for valuable and unusual artistic artifacts, what had formerly been seen as the yew's defects now became its virtues.
過去人們認為它的造型不夠通直，缺乏做為傢具等實用品的價值，但當台灣人人豐衣足食，生活由實用品需求轉成對珍奇藝品的追求，紅豆杉往昔的缺點，都成了優點。