Santa Coloma Yew Tree

The Santa Coloma Yew is one of the typical examples of this species of tree located in the surroundings of churches, hermitages or chapels all over Asturias, in this case next to the church of Santa Coloma. It reaches a height of 8 metres and a perimeter of 5.6 metres, and is in a good state of conservation. It is probably the oldest yew tree in Asturias, as it is estimated to be over 1,000 years old.

It is located next to the Romanesque church built in 1785 and erected on the remains of another church from the 14th century. Christians assimilated the magical character given to the yew tree by ancient civilisations, which is why it is normally located next to churches and hermitages, and in many cases, such as the one in Santa Coloma, it has an altar next to its trunk to celebrate mass on Corpus Christi day.