No, the leaves contain toxins which prevent germination of seedlings, and limit other plant growth. It's a property called allelopathy. Phil J

You can however shred them and put them on paths.

Just thought you might like to know about the use Yew can be put to. Two chemotherapy drugs were originally developed from Yew trees, Docetaxel was first made from the needles of the European Yew tree and Paclitaxel was made from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree. Both drugs can now be made synthetically in the laboratory, but the needles are still collected and used as part of the process of making the drugs. The collecting season tends to be from July to September. Do note that the firms that collect the clippings will often put enquirers on a register for the following year.

At least two companies collect and sell on Yew clippings to the drug industry. One is Limehurst Ltd who are based in Chichester and collect as far as Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Norfolk. Please note - this company only collect Yew clippings from hedges, not trees.

Isn't an infusion of yew foliage sometimes used for rooting cuttings?

No idea, Tugbrethil - only modern thing I know about yew is that's where the drug Tamoxifen came from...

I saw it on an episode of "Rosemary & Thyme", and had no idea if it was true or not. If I'm not careful, I'll become like a friend of mine who never reads fiction, because he can't tell what's true, and what's not!

Poo, Rosemary and Thyme, what a load of rubbish - I remember an episode where she said she could smell the eucalyptus tree - nonsense, it was Eucalyptus gunii, it has no smell unless you bruise the leaves...

I knew at least some of it was rubbish--Eucalyptus episode included--but until now I haven't had the confluence of time and memory to look the yew factoid up. I did like the one where she tells the Queen "Mind Your Own Business", though!