Taxus cuspidata

Japanese yew or spreading yew is in the yew or Taxaceae family and is native to Japan, Korea, northeast China and the extreme southeast of Russia. It is an evergreen tree or tall shrub growing up to 18 m tall.

• Evergreen needles are single, alternate, spirally arranged, 1–3 cm long, dark green on top, lighter on bottom, appearing 2-ranked on branches with short petioles twisted to flatten needles in one plane, except on leading shoots where arrangement appears spiralled.
• Species is dioecious, bearing male and female flowers on different plants; male cones are small, round, and yellow, on the undersides of the leaves; female flowers are solitary.
• Fruit is a small, round seed about 6 mm across, surrounded by a bright red fleshy aril, open on top, persistent until fall.
• Bark is thin, reddish brown and scaly.