Pacific yew is an evergreen shrub or small tree, 2-15 m high, with reddish, papery, scaly to shreddy bark. The needles are flat, dull green above and whitish striped below, and arranged in two ranks in flat sprays. Male and female cones are borne on separate trees, the female cones red and fleshy as described above. Pacific yew grows in the understory of moist, mature Douglas fir and western hemlock forests at low to middle elevations. Pacific yew is the source of taxol, a promising anti-cancer drug used for ovarian, breast and kidney cancers. Harvesting of Pacific yew bark has become a minor industry along the northwest coast and there is concern, therefore, that the uncommon and slow-gowing Pacific yew will become endangered through overharvesting.