Fastiagata Upright Japanese Plum Yew

Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

Height at Maturity: 6-10′, depending on pruning

Width at Maturity: 2-5′, depending on pruning

Spacing: 2-3′ for solid hedge; 6′ or more for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Semi-Columnar, Upright

Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate

Flower Color: NA

Flower Size: NA

Flowering Period: NA

Flower Type: NA

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color:

Sun Needs: Shade or Mostly Shade, Morning Sun With Afternoon Shade, Filtered Sun,

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sandy, Silty

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist to Dry when established

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 (Acid to Slightly Acid)

Maintenance / Care: Very Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Heavy Shade, Insect

Description

A shade loving evergreen that responds very well to clipping into column, vase and other shapes, ‘Fastigiata’ is a Japanese Plum Yew with handsome, very dark green needle-like leaves that provide a unique texture and color in the garden year round. The foliage contrasts nicely with almost all other types of plants in the shade garden. If left to grow naturally, Fastigiata will form an upright vase to 5 or 6 feet tall in 10 years with a mature height of 10 feet or more and 4 to 5 feet wide. .

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 6 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide (depending on pruning), the Fastiagata Plum Yew is ideal for use as an accent, in groupings, or as a formal or natural hedge in shady to partially shaded landscape borders and home foundation plantings. It also makes a nice centerpiece in container gardens. A fine addition to formal gardens, shade gardens, Asian theme gardens, woodland gardens, as an evergreen accent or background in perennial shade gardens, or in Xeriscape gardens (low water needs).

Spacing Recommendations: 2 to 3 feet apart for solid hedges or mass plantings; 6 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a, where this Plum Yew variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Exceptionally easy to grow, the Fastiagata Plum Yew likes a well-drained soil, even bone dry soil is okay when the plants are established. It prefers part shade to shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade or filtered sun fine. Does not require pruning however responds well to it for shaping purposes. The best time to prune is in early spring before the first flush of new growth.

Helpful Articles

Click on the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Plum Yews.

How To Plant & Care For Plum Yews

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us

Beautiful plant arrived in perfect condition. A little pricey for my liking, but worth every penny since they’re hard to find. Haven’t tried propagating it yet, but so far it’s happy in a northern/heavily shaded side of my barn with some mint underneath.—————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Good size, healthy plants, well packaged and delivered quickly. Very good experience.——————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I received my yew within a few days of the order. It came quickly and well packaged. I wish it were a bit more filled out, but it is healthy.———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Good plants, better than expected—————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Beautiful, healthy stock. Will be wonderful when it fills in as screen. Already enjoy watching it grow!——————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Nice size, very healthy, great packing and shipped promptly. Great service too.——————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Looks good, thank you!—————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I just wanted to let you know we received our plum yews and they are beautiful! Thank you for your kind service and your prompt delivery!——————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Just received your shipment of plants, and they are phenomenal. I could not have gotten this quality of plant from any other mail order source, or from most nurseries. Thank you very much!————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Shipment was quick. Shrubs arrived in excellent condition and as described. Shrubs are doing very well.———————————-We are so happy you are pleased with your purchase! Beth | WBG 🙂

I’ve ordered twice now from this company. Both this yew and a hydrangea arrived promptly, were well packaged, and both plants were very healthy and have grown well since planted. I buy plants online from many companies and would highly recommend this company as one of the better ones.—————————Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG

Made my first purchase from Wilson Brothers. Bought 4 Upright Japanese Yew Plants and they were received 3 days after I ordered them. Extremely well packaged and they look real nice and the price was very reasonable from what I found on the Internet! Look forward to getting many more items from them. ——————— WBG Reply: Hi John! Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Fastigiata Upright Japanese Plum Yews and for the compliments. Thanks also for uploading the photos. Hope you enjoy these handsome plants for years to come and on’t hesitate to let us know if there’s ever anything else we can do for you. At your service!
Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

Plant arrived in excellent shape and in a very timely manner. Would order from Wilson Bros Gardens again and would recommend to a friend.————————————-Hi Sherri, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Upright Japanese Plum Yew. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Perfect packaging, beautiful tree.—————————–Hi Annette, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Upright Japanese Plum Yew. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Very happy with these plants and the ordering/shipping process! Plants were cheaper than at a local nursery that could’ve ordered them and they arrived in much less time. They were packaged carefully and went into my planters without issue. They’re already thriving – would buy again! As for the actual plants, they’re great. I live in Arizona and I needed an attractive plant that I could shape, that could survive in the dry heat of the desert, but also thrive without direct sunlight because my front porch is fully shaded most of the year. A tall order! Hopefully they survive the summer without issue, but the new growth that was present when I opened the box is continuing and there are many new starts so I’m hopeful!——————————-WBG Reply: Hi Bryce, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Upright Japanese Plum Yew. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

The Plum Yews arrived perfectly packed. They are beautiful. Y’all did everything right even down to shipping date. It is so good to know that there are still people in the world that care about their work and follow thru with and for the customer. Thank you so much!
Ann Johnson———————————–WBG Reply: Hi Ann, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Upright Japanese Plum Yew. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks so much for the kind words!!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

The plants are very healthy, but I was a little disappointed in the size. I have purchased many plants from here and they were always so big and full…much nicer than what I could find locally. Nice plants just very small.—————WBG Reply: Hi Kimberly, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Upright Japanese Plum Yew. We are so glad you have been pleased in the past. The ones we have at the nursery are 18-22″ which are about the right size for this time of year, I’m sorry you were disappointed in the size. But, they will grow like crazy this Spring and Summer!!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

The fastigiate plum yew I ordered came when expected and was a beautiful plant. It is happily growing in my garden as I write this. I was very pleased and will definitely order from Wilson Bros again. ——————– WBG Reply: Hi Lucille – Thanks so much for your review of the Fastiagata Plum Yew. Glad to hear it is happily growing in your garden and we hope you enjoy it for years to come. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

I bought two of these to go on either side of my arbor and they’ve been growing there for about 3 years now. Nice and narrow and slow growing. Just what I needed!