Can the Yew tree make a comeback in Terenure
Many local residents are looking at their box hedges in dispair this year as the Asian moth whose caterpillars delighted in eating the box hedge completly bare and killing it as a result has arrived in Ireland. This is an invasive pest that I first saw do its damage in Trinity College horticultural gardens in Palmerston, Rathgar.
I have to say I am not a fan of box hedging but if a plant is healthy it is doing its part in capturing carbon. For the unhealthy ones, could the end of one plant spell new beginnings for the re-introduction of native hedgerows? There is nothing as fabulous as seeing nature busy flying in and out of native hedges, sure you may get a few four legged long tailed creatures too but this is all part of nature’s food chain.
On my recent door-to-door discussions with residents regarding the rewilding garden happening in Eaton Square Park we discussed with many residents the plight of the Yew. Terenure or ‘Tír on Lúir’ means the land of the Yew tree. Unfortunately we are no longer the land of the Yew tree with only two Yew hedges in place in private gardens on Eaton Square and one at Lidl too. There are likely a few more dotted around but Yews appear more plentiful in Rathgar gardens than Terenure. Yews are such a beautiful tree, once feared because of their poisonous leaves and berry seeds but not many of us go around eating trees or their berries these days and those who do are well versed on the poisonous ones.
However, the Yew has many positive qualities too and is a very historic tree in Ireland with many places names not just Terenure connected to it. Maigh Eo translates to plain of the Yew and Youghal in County Cork, Eo Choill means Yew wood. From my internet research there is just one Yew wood left in Ireland in Co. Kerry, however, apparently all Irish Yews can be traced back to two Yew trees located in County Fermanagh. The Yew is known as the tree of death and rebirth.
My heart leapt when in Merrion Square recently and I saw a number of Yew trees thriving, I wonder are these the variety without berries (males have cones and females have the berries), time well tell when I revisit them again. It is one of the very few native evergreen trees and I also spotted several in Glendalough in the graveyard of the monastic site recently and it reminded they were originally planted in graveyards I believe to stop cattle grazing there along with other beliefs that it would keep people away from those who died of the plague etc.
So if your box hedge has gone to glory why not take a look at https://pollinators.ie/ and see what planting you could introduce instead. It doesn’t have to be a hedge if you don’t have the space, it could be other pollinator friendly plants. Some good native hedges include: Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Willow, Hazel, Holly, Elder, Guelder rose, Wild cherry, Rowan and Spindle. However, be aware, native hedgerows are not intended to be over-managed, if they are trimmed too hard they wont be able to help pollinators do their job and biodiversity to feed, nest and hide from predators etc.
Great article about celebrating our native hedgerows can be found here: https://pollinators.ie/lets-celebrate-our-native-hedgerows/
Below are some pictures of Yews mentioned in this post.
Merrion Square - Heathers, Yews and other evergreens
Yew tree in Kilmacurragh National Botanic Gardens Co'. Wicklow
Yews at the monastic site in Glendalough, Co’ Wicklow
