European yew deposit, village of Krastets

Overview

European yew / poison / - Taxus baccata L. is a rare tree species included in the Red Book of the Republic of Bulgaria in the category - endangered. It is located 9 km. southwest direction from Krastets station. Yew is a tree or shrub with an extremely slow growth rate, which is known to reach the age of 4000 years. All parts of the plant are poisonous, except for the red fleshy shell of the seed, which can be consumed. The locality is located at 1100 m above sea level on brown forest soil with a main rock - dolomite. This is one of the largest natural habitats on the Balkan Peninsula. The yew is located as an undergrowth in a sparse beech forest and forms an interesting three-storey conservation habitat in the protected area: beech - yew - laurel with single scattered trees of fir and maple. Characteristic of the locality is that its condition is good - with fruit-bearing specimens and good vitality - there are yew seeds on the whole area at one, two, three and more years old. The full monitoring of the natural landmark is yet to come.

Location: Existence of asphalt road-transport and railway network near Krastets station. Part of a walking route.