what would you do with a yew?

[Toots]

The yew tree in our garden would make a lovely den for DD 20months if we cut it back to the trunk down low. Friend and neighbour suggests chopping the thing down as tree and berries (August time) are poisonous. Want DD to have fun, and to avoid being poisoned. What would you do?

Teach her not to eat anything from the garden? You'll need to check how poisonous yew is - eg is it poisonous through skin contact alone or is it only if you eat something.

We did have the laburnum tree cut down from our garden as it is similarly poisonous though.

Yew is a beautiful wood when turned into wooden bowls by the way...

We had a much smaller, Irish (ie, ornamental) yew in our garden when we moved in and ds was 1. He is never likely to be playing in it, but we ignored grandparents screeching to cut it down and used its presence as a way of teaching him about plant safety, hand-washing after playing in the garden, why birds can eat the berries but people can't, etc - like SoupDragon says. But I believe Irish yew is less toxic than English yew.
I just hate to cut down a healthy tree...but would probably have sacrificed a laburnum because the pods look so like peas.

dd would hav e to eat a lot of berries to get seriously ill. we had yew trees around and learnt at a very young age that they were poisonous and not to eat them, so we didn't. and they are beautiful trees, and make great dens. don't cut it down!!

btw, I think children eat things out of the garden much less often than one would think - especially if they have been specifically taught not to

Most gardens have plants in which are poisonous to children - there are so many plants which are!
And even if your own garden didn't have any poisonous ones, your children would still not be protected from plants in other peoples' gardens or in public places.
Perhaps it is better to keep the yew and teach your child that not all plants are safe (for a very young child, you would be with them anyway).
I think yew is beautiful - it takes ages to grow and it would be a shame to get rid of it!

something yewsful!
tee hee sorry

Make that glass of wine your last, Coddy...

sniggers

Yews used only to be grown in churchyards as they were poisenous for the domesitcated animals that grazed near villages (if it can upset a cows stomach....!).
If you are thinking of cutting it down you need to check with teh Council that there isn't a Tree Preservation Order on it (in which case you'd be commiting an offence by event trimming it without permission). A large yew is very likely to be protected.

We have a huge yew that dd has been taught not to eat, frankly I have never thought it looked particularly yummy. In fact we have taught her not to eat anything from the garden.

Except the apples and plums.

Thanks for your responses. She started picking leaves off the yew today and I distracted her with ice cream. Obviously I had some too. Very nice it was.