The taxoids content of Taxus spp. is significantly affected by various factors and this review summarizes the main findings from many studies during the last 20 years. As many tries to industrialize its production can′t be realized due to high cost in the near future, cultivating Taxus spp. appears the most feasible and economical way to obtain these valuable compounds for use in medicine (chemotherapy) and basic research. The taxoids content of Taxus spp. responds to several factors including species, environment, season, age, sex, tissue, storage, hormones and side metabolic pathway inhibitors. Understanding the relative importance of these factors is critically important for increasing the content of taxoids in plant material, and hence the economic viability of this industry. There are large variations between species and cultivars, within and between Taxus spp. populations in taxoids content. A cultivar with comparatively high shoot taxol content, Taxus × media cv Hicksi, has been selected by the FDA as the best choice for cultivation whilst Taxus baccata L., supplies most of the world market with 10-deacetylbaccatin Ⅲ. In general, taxol accumulation is higher under shady and moist conditions whilst shoot growth (and hence taxol accumulation) is reduced in high light intensity and dry conditions. Total taxoids content usually peaks in winter while that of 10-deacetylbaccatin Ⅲ often peaks in fast-growing seasons. For mature trees, taxol content increases with the age of trees while no significant difference in taxol content was attributed to the sex of trees. 3-4and 7-8 year-old seedlings often had lower taxol and 10-deacetylbaccatin Ⅲ contents than 1-year-old seedlings. Root and stem bark are richer in taxol than other tissues while small stems and needles often have higher 10-deacetylbaccatin Ⅲ or baccatin Ⅲ content. The decomposition rate of taxoids in dry plant material is reduced in shady conditions and at low temperature. Following collection, plant material should be processed quickly and carefully as studies show that heat, stacking and leaching by rain further reduce taxoids content. In addition, spraying the foliage with certain hormones and side metabolic pathway inhibitors could also increase the content of taxoids. This paper identifies several fields for further study: (1) to select and cultivate high-taxol strains, particularly of Taxus wallichiana var. mairei, the fastest growing and most widely distributed species in China; (2) to determine the mechanism responsible for the effect of soil components, particularly some rare earth elements on taxoids yield; (3) to establish how macro-ecological factors affect the production and accumulation of taxoids; (4) to identify the effects and mechanisms of hormones and side pathway inhibitors, and (5) to optimize the combination of those factors mentioned above to further improve taxoids content for application in production