High altitude yew is bollocks

[SteveOKo922]

I see and hear the term Alpine and sub alpine yew and its mythic properties alot. It motivated me to look high and low in Western WA for a good peice of yew. However, I have yet to discover a yew tree growing higher than 2900 feet. I'm starting to think people are misinformed when they claim to harvest yew in the alpine and sub alpine. Naturally, I started my search in the sub alpine of Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainer, Mt. Baker and the wilderness surrounding them. Weeks and weeks of hiking trips. Nowhere was a yew found...especially as I left the Douglas and Spruce forests and moved into the higher Fir tree wooded areas who live mostly in the sub alpine. If anyone here has proof of a yew growing  higher that 3000 feet, please educate  me in my ignorance. I have cataloged the locations of over 500 yew trees in my area. Keep in mind, my goal was to locate, not harvest as these are National Parks.

[DC]

I'm not real sure about this but as you go farther north the altitude that individual species appear drops lower and lower. So what I'm thinking is that if the highest you can find Yew is 3000 ft and I'm 300-400 miles north of you I may not find yew above, say, 2800 ft and in the north of BC it may be 2000 ft. With that in mind Italy may have Yew at 4000 ft or more. Kind of like north and up is the same thing to plants. The tree line at 40° north is very similar to the start of the alpine area as you go higher. Of course there's going to be local differences but that's always the case.

[willie]

so does altitude necessarily yield a better stave? does a higher ring count generally associated with altitude always indicate a better stave?

[stuckinthemud]

Del has insisted that low level British yew is every bit as good as so-called alpine yew, so maybe it doesnt tollerate cold climate and/or altitude  beyond a certain point which could mean there isnt much difference in quality between low lying and high level timber as it all grows under broadly similar conditions??

[DC]

If there was anything to it(and I'm with Del) I think it would be due to density which I believe has more to do with length of growing season or growing conditions. High altitude has a shorter growing season. The spot where I used to collect Mountain Hemlock bonsai was at 4200' and had a growing season of two months. That wood was dense. I counted the rings on one that died. 2" dia and was 268 years old. I never saw any yew up there.

[SteveOKo922]

At least for Pacific yew, the term high altitude should be erased from the conversation. I have several logs a yew. The one i cut around 3k has the same growth ring pattern and density as the on I cut at 15ft above sea level...I could have cast a stone to the ocean from the site.

[DC]

Yes I agree. I think the problem is that at high altitude because of the growing season all of the wood(not just yew) will be dense. At sea level "some" of the wood will be dense if it has poor soil, no water etc.

[Bryce]

It’s not about elevation 100% of the time. The reason we go up higher is to get the yew that’s growing in a less than hospitable circumstances; it’s colder, sorter growing season, harsher weather with huge amounts of weight from the snow, etc. Which in turn grow strong or die, only the resilient survive. Above 3000’ yew is more scarce but it’s there and the wood is very fine ringed, dense and TOUGH. Between 1500’-2500’ is where I find really good specimens. Lower elevations can also produce decent staves as well, they won’t be as dense and some are even too brittle. But nonetheless yew is yew and has been the premier bow wood for centuries for a reason.
But that also doesn’t mean it’s ‘bollocks’ since higher elevation yew is more often than not finer ringed, darker and generally denser.
Your ocean yew more than likely isn’t liking the salty air and the granulated sediment soil it’s growing in.
The natives in our area would use ocean yew for making tools and such but not for bows, even they would head up away from the ocean and up high to find what they would call suitable wood. Weather or not is was based on build principles or ceremonial reasons is unclear but I think it’s a little of both.
Also the way you season your wood matters, but let’s leave it at that.

[Dances with squirrels]

Hmm, maybe that's why the good ones bring $200 a stave. It's not like they just grow on trees 

Fine ringed, dark, and dense... yep, that's the kind of yew I'm interested in.

[Weylin]

 

[vinemaplebows]

Go up toward mount Rainer park,(off highway 410) you may find what you are looking for.