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I planted 5 Japanese Yews in the Spring and 3 of them have both dead/dying branches and new growth on the same plant. What would cause this? I live in North Texas. Thank you

I believe they are podocarpus. enter image description here

P. Butler
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  • We'll need pictures. – J. Musser Jul 20 '17 at 15:39
  • Do you know the variety of yew? I think Texas is pretty dry and has alkaline soils? Yews actually thrive in the shade but love acidic soil and regular moisture. Have you any neighbors or have seen these plants thriving in Texas? Where is it you live in Texas...big place. – stormy Jul 20 '17 at 20:41
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    Most likely explanation is insufficient water at times. But, we need photos if you don't know which plant you have - japanese yew is used as a name for both Taxus cuspidata and Podocarpus macrophylla - the latter is good for zones 7-9, likes heat, but does not appreciate strong sunlight nor alkaline soil - Taxus will grow in any soil ph, and will tolerate sun better, but not heat. If you know the latin name of the plants you have that would be useful to give a better answer. – Bamboo Jul 21 '17 at 12:18
  • This is Podocarpus. Mine are doing exactly the same thing and I live in North Texas, between DALLAS, Denton, and Ft Worth. I’m stumped – Beth Mar 13 '20 at 02:05

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I've been seeing this more often around town. It seems to affect the male Yews more often than the females. I have also seen them do this when planted in close proximity to Japanese Boxwoods that are suffering from a particular root fungus that seems to follow the same die back pattern. In the reading I have done on Boxwood, it looks like nothing can be done (though there has been some contradictory info). I've only tried an organic approach of cornmeal and then microlife, with no good results. I wonder if a synthetic fungicide would be more effective. If these 2 plants are truly affected by the same disease then we will be seeing many more of these plants dying unless we figure it out. I will do my best to continue looking for a solution, and will share my results. Btw, I've been a professional gardener for over 20 years (central Texas)...no expert, but will do my best to provide reliable info. Any feedback on this situation would also be very much appreciated!

Heather Day
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