Taxus Bacata Common Yew

I have a taxus bacata which I am concerned about.Over the last month or so it has started to turn brownish colour in places and the small spikelets on some of the effected branches come away if touched.It's a beautiful tree about 8 ft high which I have had from a small tree which I planted about 10 years ago.One other confusing thing is that on the non brown branches new growth is evident at the tip of each branch. Any advice will be appreciated, I would hate to lose it as I rescued the tree from a skip when it was about 18" high.

 

Whereabouts on the tree are these brown areas, at the top or bottom or all over? Any chance of a photo?

 

Could they be the dead flowers David, do you think?

 

That is possible, Pete, but if it`s isolated at the base of the tree, then I would say it was caused by a cat or cats.

 

The tree is brown in various places from top to bottom. I have taken some photo's but cannot find out how to attach them to this thread.

 

Bad links marley :(

 

I was told this afternoon that the problem with my tree is "Spring Scortch".Bright sunny spring weather followed by cold spells leads to browning or death of evergreen trees.The cause is early sunny weather followed by a drop in temperature and and strong winds stimulate water loss from the leaves but the tree roots are not yet active enough to replace the loss,so the leaves dry out and turn brown.Not sure weather my tree will recover but fingers are crossed.

 

Sounds possible, but in Surrey Brilliard.

Could understand it if you were on the Yorkshire moors or some such place, but Surrey?:D

 

I know it sounds strange Pete,but the person who examined the tree seemed to know what she was talking about.I will leave things to next spring and keep you posted as to progress one way or the other.

 

I am pleased to say my common yew is now recovering. New green shoots are appearing on the ends of the branches and the brown areas are slowly turning green. Since I was told "Spring Scorch" might be the culprit I have watered the tree daily when there has been no rainfall.

 

I doubt Spring Scorch. Yew got through the last Ice Age and you can see yew hedges in good condition all over the country, rain and shine. However, yew does go brown sometimes:

1. Like any plant it drops its leaves when they are worn out. Some yews do this branch by branch...
2. Yew gets stressed sometimes and "bronzes". No one really knows why (even the scientists at the RHS are mystified) but they think the most likely causes are either too much, or not enough water. Given the weather we had in the spring....

If it happens again, give it a foliar feed and it will probably perk up.

Good luck