Florence Court Yew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Florence Court Yew |
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Florence Court Yew in 2010
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| Species | Yew (Taxus baccata) |
| Location | Florence Court, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°15′15″N 7°43′23″W / 54.254077°N 7.722987°W |
| Date seeded | 1767 |
| Custodian | National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty |
The Florence Court Yew is a very special and ancient tree. It is the oldest Irish yew alive today. What makes it so unique is that almost all Irish yew trees around the world are believed to have come from this one tree! You can find it at the Florence Court estate in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The National Trust takes care of this amazing tree.
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The Story of the Florence Court Yew
In 1767, a local farmer named George Willis found two unusual young yew trees. He discovered them on the slopes of Cuilcagh mountain, near Florencecourt. These seedlings were different from other yew trees.
George Willis gave one of these special seedlings to his landlord, Lord Mount Florence. Lord Mount Florence (who later became the 1st Earl of Enniskillen) had the tree planted in the old garden at his Florence Court estate. The other seedling was planted in George Willis's own garden, but it sadly died in 1865. The tree at Florence Court, however, continued to grow and thrive!
What Makes This Yew Tree Special?
The yew trees George Willis found had a unique shape. Most common yew trees spread out wide, but these seedlings grew upwards in a tall, narrow column. This is called a 'fastigiated' shape.
As the Florence Court Yew grew, it kept this distinctive upright and compact form. Its attractive, column-like shape caught the eye of many visitors and plant experts. It was quite different from the typical yew trees found across Ireland, Britain, and Europe.
How New Irish Yews Are Grown
The Florence Court Yew is a female tree. Like all Irish yews, it can only be grown from cuttings. This means you have to take a small branch from the tree and plant it. If you try to grow new Irish yews from seeds, they will turn into common yew trees. They lose the special upright shape that makes the Irish yew so unique. Even though the shape changes, the new trees might have slightly different leaf colors.
People started taking cuttings from the Florence Court Yew. By 1820, the Irish yew had become incredibly popular. It was grown and sold all over the world. Today, you can often see Irish yew trees in churchyards everywhere. It's truly amazing to think that almost all of them are descendants of this single tree at Florence Court!
Looking After the Florence Court Yew
Over the years, many cuttings were taken from the Florence Court Yew. Also, large ash and sycamore trees grew up around it, creating a lot of shade. Because of these things, the Florence Court Yew has lost some of its original perfect shape and balance.
However, as of 2010, the tree was in stable condition. It's a very damp area, so moss grows well there. The moss was slowing down the tree's growth a little, but the National Trust continues to care for this historic and important tree.
