High value medicinal plants (Taxus wallichiana-Himalayan yew)

Taxus wallichiana (Himalayan yew), is a species of #yew, native to the Himalaya and parts of Southeast Asia. You can find this evergreen species growing between 900 m – 3700 m above sea level. The species has a variety of uses in traditional medicine including extraction of taxol from the plant’s shoots, which is said to have anti-cancer properties.

The Himalayan yew has been subject to heavy exploitation of its leaves and bark in most places where it is found, including our Himalayan region. Declines have been particularly heavy in India and Nepal, with losses of up to 90%. The species is currently classified as endangered by IUCN.

Himalayan yew (or lot salla as it is locally known) is now present in several protected areas, and at least some conservation and propagation measures are underway. There are also efforts to sustainably cultivate it for its high commercial value in the medicine supply chain and trade.

At our Knowledge Park, saplings are regularly produced from trees which grow in the Park, and distributed to other community forest user groups in the #Godavari landscape (Patle Dada, Godavari Kunda and Diyale Dada community forests). We have also been creating more awareness about the species, its proper propagation techniques and its income generation potential to visitors to #KnowledgePark.

#medicinalplants #HimalayanYew #ProtectThePulse