I'm rather fascinated by yew trees. There was one in our garden when I was little and we were always strictly forbidden to play near it. Them and the foxgloves of course. And any red berries. But we weren't exactly informed why and I recently found out - because they are one of the most toxic plants on earth.
Image by Andrea Dunlap
Long held sacred by the inhabitants of this fair isle, yew tree groves often marked spiritual Celtic grounds - whereby the Christian church promptly set up shop on such sites and harnessed their properties. This is also why yew trees are often to be found in grave yards. A poison of dried yew needles was a sure fire for a swift death and often the only honourable alternative to falling on ones sword. And of course we prized the wood for bow staves too, leading to the tree's near extinction and saved only by the advent of the gun. Well that's one positive thing about I guns I suppose...
I think they're quite interesting, I hope you do too.
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