yew has some severe bug issues.. depending on where you are ...

nothing is going to grow.. vigorously.. in too much shade ... its one thing to be shade tolerant.. its another.. to try to grow with abandon ... can you define the number of hours of actual sun ...

many of the big yews.. you see in shade... were planted when the trees were small .. and they grew together ...

root competition is solved thru proper watering ...

and how about a picture ...

ken

Mulched yew planted directly into rooty soil and kept mulched and watered one of the more likely types to make it. But you are talking about inches of growth per year, how many decades do you want to wait before you have a big screening specimen in that spot? A solid fence would be a lot quicker.

Thank you both for responding so quickly.
-- I am in No. Virginia -- see yews in all our garden centers and some look promising for what I have in mind.
-- Yes I knew they were slow-growing, but some of them are sizeable enough that, helped by the raised bed, I thought they'd do creditably well in blocking the objectionable view.
-- You're right, a nice tall solid fence would be best -- unfortunately they're not allowed here.
-- Re shade, it's not dense -- mostly [in summer] from the leaves of the oak and the lilac (about 6-8' apart -- neighbor's vehicles, trash cans, etc. are within a foot of the property line so that space is a lot bigger than it sounds :) The spot does get at least a couple of hours of direct sun daily.
-- Wish I could post pix to give a better visual but I can't -- only working cam is out of town with spouse at this time :(

I know nothing about the root system of the yew -- would it have a chance in a raised bed or is that wishful thinking? Thanks for the help!

I have planted several yews on my property over the years, some in quite shady spots, and they have all done very well. They all eventually turn into monsters, but that takes years. I don't prune mine. I have planted the vertical and spreading kinds, and have two in front of the rounding type that were here before me. They cover the bottom half of about half of my house.

I planted several spreading ones in back. The oldest is now about 6 ft tall and spreads about 15 feet. Three others define the back corner of my property on one side, and three rounded ones define my property line on the other back corner. These were all small plants in gallon-sized containers when purchased.

Additionally, my soil is quite dry, and after the usual watering when first planting, they have flourished without any problem.

Why do you feel more drainage is needed? Are you planning the raised bed partly for aesthetic reasons., or is the ground simply too root-filled to introduse another plant without one?

Yews make a very good backdrop for other garden plants, because of their dark, uniform coloring. This is best utilized where they are facing the sun source, so the flowers will grow facing the observer.

Yew is, of course, poisonous, the truly ripe berries somewhat less so, and birds will eat those.

If you want a really fast screen, try the Russian lace vine. It can kill trees and is difficult to eradicate, however.

The taller kinds of forsythia will also produce screening relatively quickly, even in mostly shade.

If you choose the vertical yew for height, you might want to plant more than one to more quickly get the coverage width you seek. You could always relocate or remove one or more later.

There are also some really large rhododendrons that might do a good job for you in that spot; I would check in with that Forum for that possibility though.

Oh, and have you ever tried Kerria? I have one of those at the base of a walnut, and it makes a very effective screen, with a bonus of looking bamboolike and getting yellow flowers in spring. It will gradually spread if allowed. That one was essentially planted above the walnut roots, with soil added; not a formal raised bed, but sort of the same idea.

without a picture to see the hole that you are trying to fill, I will throw out a couple of suggestions: japanese plum yew and evergreen huckleberry. My evergreen huckleberries are growing by leaps and bounds in deep shade the first year. And I think that japanese plum yew is prettier than yew.

If you can loosen the rooty soil enough to plant whatever specimen you choose, I would suggest not going with a raised bed.

Best of luck to you.

see link for planting guide ...

lets discuss any variable that confuses you ...

the bigger the transplant.. the greater potential problem of being root bound in a pot ... read up on amending soil ... and most important.. is proper watering ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Again, thank you all. Much as I rely on my beloved books, they can't provide your practical [and immediate] insights about my particular situation -- your feedback is incredibly helpful and gratifying to me!
-- Re drainage. Yes I wanted a raised bed for aesthetic reasons AND because the ground is too root-filled. (You hit both nails on the head :) Also I have pretty heavy clay soil.
-- I think the J. Plum Yew is prettier too. Do their requirements (and dimensions) differ much? Am hoping for at least 6' tall and 4' wide... It's funny you mentioned evergreen huckleberry -- I just saw it in my new Fine Gardening and dreamed longingly :) Would it really be a useful screen, do you think?
-- 'Though I love forsythia and have it on the other side of my property, I would prefer to 'fill the hole' with a darker evergreen that blocks the view and doesn't draw the eye too much...

I like the idea of just mounding up soil around the plant(s) and I'm not planning a very formal raised bed...just some stones/pavers to hold the soil as the ground slopes down a bit from the oak...

So, which yew, and where do I get evergreen huckleberry (if that's a viable alternative), and is there any problem about planting either right now? Bless you!

I planted three evergreen huckleberries in backyard near the wire fence for screening purposes. They are not toxic to my dogs, and they provide food for the birds. If you search online, you will see they can get quite large. If you cannot find them in your local nursery, you can order them online and have them shipped to you. They like acid soil, and I assumed you had it under the oak tree because oak leaves are acidic.

A word of warning on the japanese plum yews, they are more expensive than the regular yews. If you want a plant that is six feet tall and four feet wide, then the Japanese Plum Yew known as Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' sounds perfect. It continues to grow, so eventually you will have to trim it, though.

I'm a little concerned about the raised bed idea and the pavers/stones because I don't know if you will be compacting the soil around the roots of your oak tree? If that's not the case, no problem.

Lastly, larger transplants can be more problematic with surviving transplant shock. Generally, it's recommended to get a smaller plant and be patient.

If you are building a raised bed because the ground is too root filled, isn't there a risk that you will suffocate and kill the roots by burying them too deeply?

The other thing I was going to suggest was holly...perhaps American Holly or Blue Princess. As an understory tree it should be OK with some shade and root competition.

Vaccinium ovatum not for Virginia.

A picture WOULD be so much easier, I agree!!
I'm not really worried about compacting/smothering the tree roots. The area 'covered' by the raised bed would be relatively small (@2'x4') and has had bigger planters, gravel, benches, etc. covering it for 30 years. Nothing seems to bother these trees (there is a tulip tree 3' from the oak--and a host of volunteer hollies and deciduous shrubs nestled around both. Wish they had 'volunteered themselves in this space :)
I did try sky pencil holly in there a few years back but couldn't keep it going...
The yew seems to have the dimensions and look I'd like in that spot -- just wonder if it would be happy enough in these conditions.. Thanks again, everyone.

Get a Wax Myrtle.
They grow VERY fast and can tolerate shade.