Western Yew

About Western Yew in Alberta

Western Yew is a rare native Alberta conifer at the extreme eastern edge of its range, historically known from a single Waterton Lakes National Park location in moist mixed conifer forest. Its current Alberta persistence is uncertain because the known site was in the area burned by the 2017 Kenow Mountain wildfire. For ARA, Western Yew must be kept separate from common planted ornamental yews in Alberta towns and cemeteries; a true native Western Yew record is a conservation and range-edge record, not an ordinary landscape shrub.

Identification: Leaves are flat, linear, soft-tipped needles, about 1-3 cm long. They are green to shiny yellow-green above and paler beneath, with broad stomatal bands.

Alberta range and habitat: Western Yew is historically known in Alberta from a single Waterton Lakes National Park location. That site was in the 2017 Kenow Mountain wildfire area, so current persistence is uncertain without newer verification.