What's eating my prince albert's yew?

Prince Albert's Yew has no recorded serious pest or disease problems and is considered a trouble-free conifer in cultivation. Like other yew-family conifers, it may occasionally attract yew scale or vine weevil in garden settings. Phytophthora in waterlogged soils is the main disease risk to monitor.

Brown oval scales on stems and undersides of foliage; honeydew deposits; localised yellowing and reduced vigour. Apply horticultural oil at crawler emergence (late spring/early summer); encourage natural predators such as ladybirds; prune affected stems.

Adult notch-feeding on leaf margins (minor); larvae eat roots of container-grown specimens, causing sudden wilting and collapse. Apply pathogenic nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to pot compost in autumn; use vine weevil-specific insecticides for severe container infestations.

Root decay and crown dieback in compacted or poorly drained soils; wilting despite moist soil. Plant in well-drained acidic to neutral soil; avoid overwatering; apply phosphonate preventive on established trees in vulnerable sites.