Lessons from the Yew Tree
A potent medicine for breast cancer originates in a toxic plant with a magical past.
In the heart of the tiny village of Fortingall, Scotland, stands an ancient yew tree—the Fortingall Yew—enveloped by the serene ambiance of a small churchyard cemetery. This tree, possibly the oldest in Europe, is a living testament to history, its roots entwined with centuries of Celtic lore. The scientific name of this yew tree is Taxus baccata, and it is an evergreen with a rich heritage. Its needles, bark, and seed cones contain toxic molecules, yet it's adorned with a singular non-toxic tissue—the fleshy red aril, encasing the seed. Historically, the yew's durable wood was instrumental in crafting musical instruments and the formidable English longbow.
You can join me on a visit to see the Fortingall Yew in this video, taken with National Geographic Explorer, Prof. Maria Fadiman:
Path from Plant to Medicine
The journey of the yew tree from a symbol of folklore to a cornerstone in modern medicine began in the 1950s with the United States National Cancer Institute's (NCI) initiative to discover new cancer therapies by tasking botanists to collect plant specimens from across the globe.
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