plum-yew

plum-yew, (Cephalotaxus species), any of about seven species of small coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus Cephalotaxus, comprising the plum-yew family (Cephalotaxaceae). Native to central and eastern Asia, these plants are used in many temperate-zone areas as ornamentals. A fleshy aril surrounds each single hard seed, giving it a plumlike appearance. The Japanese plum-yew, or cow’s tail pine (C. harringtonia), grows only in cultivation; it may reach 3 metres (about 10 feet). The Chinese plum-yew (C. fortunei) grows to 12 metres (40 feet) in the wild and up to 6 metres (20 feet) under cultivation.