Japanese yew-Taxus cuspidata Siebold & Zucc.-Poisonous plant

Japanese yew

General poisoning notes:

Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) is an outdoor ornamental that is winter-hardy across southern Canada. This shrub contains toxic quantities of the alkaloid taxine. Cattle and horses became ill and died after ingesting the leaves and twigs of Japanese yew. In two cases in Ontario, several cattle died after gaining access to shrubs around houses or after being given hedge trimmings (Alden et al. 1977, Thomson and Barker 1978).

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Taxus cuspidata Siebold & Zucc.

Geographic Information

Plant or plant parts used in or around the home.

Notes on Poisonous plant parts:

Leaves, twigs, and seeds are toxic. Only the red arils, the fleshy outer parts of the fruits, are considered nontoxic (Ogden 1988).

Toxic parts:

Leaves, seeds, twigs

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

Taxine (taxin) is a complex mixture of alkaloids that is rapidly absorbed from the digestive tract and interferes with heart action (Feldman et al. 1987).

Toxic plant chemicals:

Taxine.

Animals/Human Poisoning:

Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.

Cattle

General symptoms of poisoning:

Death.