Description
They are tuberous herbaceous perennial lianas, growing to 2 to 12 m or more tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, mostly broad heart-shaped. The flowers are individually inconspicuous, greenish-yellow, with six petals; they are mostly dioecious, with separate male and female plants, though a few species are monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same plant.
Dioscorea villosa is a species of a twining tuberous vine that is native to eastern North America. It is common and widespread in a range stretching from Texas and Florida north to Minnesota, Ontario and Massachusetts.
Plant Specifications
*above specification are indicative only. actual dimensions may vary by +-10%
| Common Name |
Yams |
| Maximum Reachable Height |
1 to 2 feet |
| Flower Colour |
Yellow-green |
| Bloom Time |
Seasonal bloomer |
| Difficulty Level |
Easy to grow |
Planting and care
Collect seed from the vines in late fall or anytime in winterseparate the seed from the seed capsulesin a plot in the garden, clear away any plants there now, and loosen the soil:
The plot will need a few hours of sun during the spring seasonmark the garden plot!Scatter the seed on the bare ground, cover with a sprinkling of garden soil and some leaf litter:
Dioscorea villosa care
I first encountered wild yam on a walk around what became the North American Native Plant Society nature reserve, the Shining Tree Woods, in autumn 12 years ago. Next spring that vine had many seeds, and I received permission to take a few.
The seed of wild yam will germinate readily. When you start your plants, you will find that within a few years they will spread by both a more robust root system (which is like five-millimetre or two-tenths of an inch-thick pasta, interconnected versus discrete, and a dark reddish colour) and new shoots from these roots, or by seeds being dispersed by wind and creatures.
| Sunlight |
Full sun to part shade |
| Watering |
Medium |
| Soil |
Well-drained soil |
| Temperature |
25 degrees C |
| Fertilizer |
Apply any organic fertilizer |
Dioscorea villosa special feature
It is suggested that Dioscorea be limited to pot culture.
Dioscorea villosa uses
Ornamental Use:
- The plant is used for ornamental purpose
Medicinal Use:
- Native Americans and early herbalist had many uses for this plant including the treatment of many female and childbirth related problems
- It was also used to treat various gastrointestinal problems, muscle spasms, various painful conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism
- There seems to be no scientific evidence of its effectiveness for these conditions
- Nonetheless, plants of this genus are valuable to modern medicine
- Many of our modern steroids are manufactured from diosgenin extracted from them
