Sold outAerial tuber cropAerial bulbils above, edible tuber below← Back to all plantsWhy We Grow It
Dioscorea polystachya · formerly D. batatas
Chinese yam bulbils
Staple crops · Hidden harvests · Food forest support
A temperate yam vine that makes small aerial bulbils along the stem and a deep underground tuber—a remarkable crop, but one that demands strict containment.
- Useful part
- Underground tuber and aerial bulbils, cooked
- Climate
- Zones 5–9; vigorous in the Southeast
- Hardy to
- USDA Zone 5 · about −20°F / −29°C
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Ships as
- 3 aerial bulbils
We grow it to study a two-level harvest: bulbils above ground and a deep perennial tuber below.
Grow with contextContain rigorously: this vine spreads from both underground tubers and small aerial bulbils. Harvest every bulbil and never discard planting material outdoors.
Fall bulbil releaseCurrently sold out
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