Yew & Me

Looking up into the Yew Tree I see the berries hanging like droplets of blood on the evergreen.  And I remember my Grandad telling me how the berries are poisonous.  His voice still comes back to me after all these years with varying kinds of advice.  In fact, most of the Yew Tree is poisonous, including the wood, bark, needles and seeds.  It was used to make arrows during the Middle Ages and even if the arrow caused but a flesh wound, the unfortunate recipient would still die of poisoning.

The birds have been consuming the berries in large amounts today.  Foraging up in the branches and down on the ground where some have dropped following a windy night.  They seem to have no problem with the poison and simply eat the berries whole.  The seed passes through them intact and the rest of the berry is digested.  I guess this is no accident, as the tree benefits from spreading its seed far and wide, and the birds benefit from a fruit that nothing else can eat.