Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Hicksii Yew (Taxus x media 'Hicksii')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Hick's Yew, Columnar Yew.

More about hicksii yew

About Hicksii Yew

Taxus x media 'Hicksii' · also called Hick's Yew, Columnar Yew · flowering

Hicksii Yew is a narrow, upright columnar evergreen reaching 3-4 m tall and about 1-1.5 m wide, with dark green needles and red arils on female plants. Tolerant of shade, shearing and varied soils, it is a classic hedge and screen. All parts except the red aril flesh are highly toxic, containing lethal taxine alkaloids.

Cold limit: USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat) · RHS H6 (-25 to 32°C)

Watch for — Winter burn: Cold, drying winds scorch foliage brown in exposed sites; shelter from harsh winter wind and keep soil moist into autumn.

What hicksii yew's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — hicksii yew is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Hicksii Yew is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for hicksii yew as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can hicksii yew go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat) and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when hicksii yew can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Hicksii Yew hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is hicksii yew cold hardy?

Yes — hicksii yew is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Hicksii Yew is hardy across USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat); it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature hicksii yew can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Hicksii Yew is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is hicksii yew?

Hicksii Yew is rated USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat) and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can hicksii yew survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-7 (dislikes extreme summer heat) and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to hicksii yew below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.