Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Upright Japanese Plum Yew

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata'

£27.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
19cm / 3L £27.99

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Description

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' is the upright, columnar form of the Japanese plum yew, a handsome evergreen conifer prized for its architectural shape and its willingness to grow where almost nothing else will. Unlike the spreading species, this cultivar throws its shoots vertically into a dense, narrow column, clothed top to bottom in soft, glossy, near-black-green needles that radiate around each stem like a bottlebrush. It is one of the most useful and least demanding exotic-looking evergreens you can plant.

What makes cephalotaxus harringtonia so desirable is its rare combination of dramatic form and genuine toughness. It is fully hardy across the UK (RHS H5), evergreen for year-round structure, and famously shade-tolerant, coping with the dry shade under mature trees that defeats most other shrubs. The plum yew also resists the pests and diseases that trouble true yews, and as a slow grower it holds its tidy outline for years with minimal attention.

How and where to grow

This is a brilliantly adaptable plant. It thrives in partial or full shade and tolerates full sun in cooler northern gardens, so it suits north or east-facing borders, woodland edges and shady courtyards alike. Give it any reasonably fertile, moist but well-drained soil, on chalk, clay, loam or sand and at any pH. It dislikes waterlogging, so lighten heavy ground with grit before planting.

  • Eventual size: around 2 to 3 m tall and 1 to 1.5 m wide, reached slowly over many years
  • Position: partial to full shade, or full sun in cooler areas, ideally sheltered
  • Care: water through the first season or two, then little needed; clips well if a neater column is wanted

Its slim, upright silhouette makes the plum yew a natural choice for framing doorways, marking the corners of a bed, or adding evergreen height to a narrow space, and it sits beautifully alongside ferns, bamboos and other shade-loving exotics. Note that the foliage and seeds are toxic if eaten, so site it thoughtfully around children and pets. Every japanese plum yew we send out is a strong, well-rooted, nursery-grown specimen, carefully selected and packed to arrive in superb condition, ready to settle into your garden for decades to come.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Upright Japanese Plum Yew

Give me sun with a little shade and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Upright Japanese Plum Yew

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' needs partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Coastal & Exposed Exotic Borders Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H5): down to around −15°C. Hardy through a cold UK winter.

Fully hardy across the UK, withstanding winter lows well below freezing (RHS H5) with no winter protection needed once established. One of the most cold-tolerant of the exotic-looking conifers, it shrugs off hard frosts and cold winds. Read moreShow less

Fully hardy across the UK, withstanding winter lows well below freezing (RHS H5) with no winter protection needed once established. One of the most cold-tolerant of the exotic-looking conifers, it shrugs off hard frosts and cold winds.

Position

Partial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered
Remarkably adaptable on light. It thrives in partial or full shade, including dry shade under trees where little else flourishes, yet also tolerates full sun in cooler northern gardens. A sheltered spot keeps the foliage at its glossiest. Read moreShow less

Remarkably adaptable on light. It thrives in partial or full shade, including dry shade under trees where little else flourishes, yet also tolerates full sun in cooler northern gardens. A sheltered spot keeps the foliage at its glossiest.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Grows in any reasonably fertile, moist but well-drained soil, including chalk, clay, loam and sand across acid, neutral and alkaline pH. It dislikes permanently waterlogged ground, so improve heavy clay with grit or organic matter before planting. Read moreShow less

Grows in any reasonably fertile, moist but well-drained soil, including chalk, clay, loam and sand across acid, neutral and alkaline pH. It dislikes permanently waterlogged ground, so improve heavy clay with grit or organic matter before planting.

Watering

Water regularly through the first one to two growing seasons to settle the roots, especially in dry shade or during summer dry spells. Once established it is notably drought-tolerant and needs little supplementary watering. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first one to two growing seasons to settle the roots, especially in dry shade or during summer dry spells. Once established it is notably drought-tolerant and needs little supplementary watering.

Mature size

Height2-3 m
Spread1-1.5 m

Reaches full size in 20-50 years

Growth habit

Columnar/upright

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Little pruning needed. Trim lightly in late spring only to tidy the narrow shape or remove stray shoots; it tolerates cutting but rarely requires it.

Toxicity

Foliage and seeds contain toxic alkaloids (including harringtonine) and may cause stomach upset if eaten; handle and site with care around children and pets.

Native range

Japan, Korea, China

Family

Cephalotaxaceae

Also known as

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata'

Genus

Cephalotaxus
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' hardy in the UK?

Yes, it is fully hardy throughout the UK (RHS H5) and tolerates hard frosts and cold winds without any winter protection. It is one of the toughest of the exotic-looking evergreen conifers for British gardens.

Will it grow in shade?

Yes, this is one of its great strengths. It is happy in partial or even full shade, including dry shade beneath established trees, and also copes with full sun in cooler areas, making it ideal for difficult, low-light corners.

How big does the upright Japanese plum yew get?

It is a slow-growing, columnar shrub reaching roughly 2 to 3 m tall but staying narrow at around 1 to 1.5 m wide over many years. Its upright habit makes it useful where space is tight.

Is it evergreen?

Yes, it is fully evergreen, holding its soft, dark green yew-like needles all year round to give structure and colour through winter.

Is it safe around pets and children?

The foliage and seeds contain toxic alkaloids and can cause stomach upset if eaten, so it is best sited away from areas where young children or pets graze. Wash your hands after pruning as a sensible precaution.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

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Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

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Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

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Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata'
£27.99