This tree can kill you ☠️🌳
The common yew (Taxus baccata) is native to Europe and can be found in many outdoor spaces including gardens, parks and woodlands. The bark, leaves and seeds contain taxane alkaloids which are highly poisonous and can be DEADLY if ingested. It should go without saying… do not eat any parts of this tree!
Interestingly those toxic compounds also save many lives each year! Taxane alkaloids from yew trees are used in modern medicine to treat leukaemia and cancerous tumours.
📸 Image credit: Andreas Rockstein, Flickr.
