Pernštejnský tis, Remarkable yew tree below Pernštejn Castle, Nedvědice, Czech Republic

Pernštejnský tis is a red yew on the northern slope below Pernštejn Castle, beside the old road to Nedvědice. Its massive forked trunk encloses a cavity that is provisionally covered, and steel rods support the densely branched crown. It reaches about 15 metres in height.

The yew's age is disputed: estimates range from 400 to 2000 years, and legends link its planting to a pilgrim at the castle's construction in the mid-13th century, or to Methodius in the late 9th century. In the second half of the 19th century the trunk was buried under 50 cm of silt until a gardener had it removed, allowing the tree to recover.

The tree is also called Metodějův tis after the missionary Methodius, who in one version of the legend planted his staff here in the second half of the 9th century. Other versions name a pilgrim returning from the Holy Land at the time the castle was built in the mid-13th century, or a crusader soldier. Locals long held that the castle's fortunes were tied to the tree's health.

The yew grows on the northern slope below Pernštejn Castle, beside the old road to Nedvědice, at 49°27'7.8"N, 16°19'2.2"E. Its massive forked trunk encloses a cavity that is provisionally covered, and the densely branched crown is held by steel cables, so keep to the path and do not climb the tree.

A branch of the tree broke in 2005 shortly before a fire damaged the castle's grain storage building nearby. Some locals connect this event to a special relationship between the tree and the site's history.