Anglo-Japanese yew vs Oval-leaved privet

Anglo-Japanese yew and Oval-leaved privet are often considered for the same spot in the garden (hedge, screening). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Anglo-Japanese yew

Taxus × media 2.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A dark green, dense evergreen and one of the best plants for a clipped hedge: it grows in sun and deep shade alike, copes well with city air and…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about PLN 84

Oval-leaved privet

Ligustrum ovalifolium 3 m × 2 m after 10 years

An undemanding hedging shrub with glossy dark green leaves that thickens up quickly, grows in almost any soil and copes well with city air. It keeps…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about PLN 10

Key differences

Anglo-Japanese yew is highly toxic to children, dogs and cats: even a small amount can be life-threatening. Do not plant it where small children, dogs or cats go. Apart from the flesh of the red aril, every part of the plant is highly poisonous, including needles, bark and seeds, even when dry.
Anglo-Japanese yew is evergreen, Oval-leaved privet is semi-evergreen.
Oval-leaved privet grows larger: 3 m × 2 m after ten years, against 2.5 m × 1.5 m for Anglo-Japanese yew (an estimate: sources differ).
Oval-leaved privet grows faster than Anglo-Japanese yew.
Anglo-Japanese yew is hardier: down to -34 °C, against -23 °C for Oval-leaved privet.
Oval-leaved privet also takes heavy clay, Anglo-Japanese yew needs a loose, free-draining soil.
Anglo-Japanese yew needs less care than Oval-leaved privet.

Which one to choose?

Anglo-Japanese yew is the better choice if it must screen in winter too, space is tight, the garden is cold or a frost pocket or you have little time for care.

Oval-leaved privet is the better choice if small children, dogs or cats use the garden, you want quick results or the soil is heavy clay.

Watch out for

Anglo-Japanese yew

On wet, poorly drained soil it is killed by root rot, which is the most common cause of failure. In exposed sites winter sun and cold wind can scorch the needles. Twig and needle blight, scale insects, mealybugs and vine weevil are occasional problems.

Oval-leaved privet

In the colder winters of Central Europe you cannot count on year-round screening: it drops its leaves in hard frost and shoots of young, not yet established plants may die back, although it resprouts in spring. Yellow variegated forms can be scorched after their first winters. It is notably susceptible to honey fungus, and powdery mildew, leaf spots and aphids occur. It does not tolerate waterlogging. In favourable spots it can seed itself around.

The data side by side

Feature	Anglo-Japanese yew	Oval-leaved privet
Group	Hedge	Hedge
Size after 10 years	2.5 m × 1.5 m	3 m × 2 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	3–6 m × 2–4 m	3–5 m × 2–4.5 m
Growth rate	Slow	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade, Shade	Full sun, Part shade, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Medium (uncertain)	Medium (uncertain)
Foliage	Evergreen	Semi-evergreen
Flowering	no data	June–July, white
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Medium
Maintenance	Low	Medium
Planted as a hedge	3 plants per running metre	4 plants per running metre
For dogs	Highly toxic	Toxic
For cats	Highly toxic	Toxic
For children	Highly toxic	Toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	about PLN 100 (60–100 cm)	about PLN 130 (100–150 cm)

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 26, 2026

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