Endangered Plant Species Blog: Florida yew

 Florida Yew

Taxus Floridana

Species Description: 

    The Florida Yew is a small evergreen bushy tree or shrub. It can grow up to 26 feet and has purplish brown bark. The leaves are needlelike, flat, and linear, and grow up to an inch long. The branches grow irregularly, with long branches often growing at nearly a right angle from the trunk. It produces small cones. 

Species Habitat and Range:

    The Florida Yew is essentially only found within a fifteen square mile span in ravines along the Apalachicola river in northwestern Florida. They rarely occur as individuals, rather they appear in small clumps. The terrain primarily consists of steep, sandy slopes and spring-fed waterways. 

Species Role in Ecosystem:

The Florida Yew's role in its ecosystem includes being a a food source for wildlife, such as beavers and white-tailed deer; acting as a habitat for small birds and insects; and as a source of medicine that is used to help treat cancer. 

Cause of Decline:

There are a few reasons for the decline of the Florida Yew. The first being logging companies in the nineteenth century. The clearing of these trees combined with a lack of regeneration is the primary reason for depletion. The second reason would be that wildlife such as white-tail deer have over eaten the remaining trees. Surprisingly, however, fire is not a cause of declines due to the fact that fires typically extinguish themselves when reaching the ravines that Florida Yews grow in.

Importance and Why We Should Care:

The bark of the Florida Yew contains the promising cancer-fighting compound Taxol. Taxol is produced by a fungus that grows in association with Yew trees. Taxol has proven useful in treating breast cancer, ovarian cancer, some kinds of leukemia, and certain kidney diseases. The use of plants in medicine is an important reason often forgotten when discussing plant conservation efforts.

Current Conservation Efforts:

According to the state of Florida, the Yew is listed as endangered, however, according to Nature Conservancy lists it as imperiled. The remaining Yews are found split between protected lands, which help to aid the Yews, and on private property, which unfortunately cannot be protected by law. 

How the Study of Geography Aids in Conservation:

There hasn't yet been much of a breakthrough for the Florida Yew yet, but the main issue that it faces is the lack of regeneration. 

Plea For Help:

Containing Florida Yews in your landscaping due to the following conservation efforts.

1. Growing concern for conservation efforts

2. An increased understanding of the harm that invasive species can cause to the environment

3. The desire to have low-maintenance plants that naturally thrive

4. To benefit local pollinators

5. To help promote the restoration of the Florida Yew to healthier population levels.