Meet Solaran the Yew
Solaran is a variegated Irish Yew ("David"). I often refer to him as my "rebel", because experts advise against making a bonsai from Irish Yews, preferring the growth habits of English Yew, and tend to recommend trees that are not variegated generally. This tree also breaks a few rules, such as having straight and twisted sections.
Personally, this is one of my favourite trees to work on. I always enjoy introducing him to people who show an interest, because he challenges several common assumptions about what makes good bonsai material.
Solaran was a gift, and for that reason he will always remain part of my personal collection.
Solaran On YouTube
October 2025
The First Video
I started working on Solaran before the YouTube channel was ready, so this is the earliest video I have of him.
My personal experience with this yew has been good. He holds his shape better than many trees after wiring, his branches are flexible and he is a handsome specimen to boot. If someone asked me, I would say that this is not a bad beginner tree.
July 2026
Featuring Role
Solaran's size and bright foliage make him a frequent "guest star" in my videos, so you'll probably spot him from time to time, even when he isn't the main subject. As more videos focus on his development, this placeholder will be replaced.
July 2026
Further Work
Irish Yews can become somewhat shaggy and need to be groomed to avoid problems such as pest infestations (they like to hide amongst old needles and between branches) and inverse taper, where too many branches grow from the same point and cause bulging (like the silhouette of a slim person trying to hide a cricket ball in a back pocket, if you will).