Wild Yam, Chinese (Dioscorea batatas), live aerial tubers, organic [NY, INTL NO]
$6.95 – $14.00
Family: Yam (Dioscoreaceae)
Hardy to Zones 4 to 8.
(Shan-yao, Cinnamon Vine, Wild Yam, Chinese Wild Yam, Light Yam, Light Root) (Syn. Dioscorea opposita, also Dioscorea polystachya) Perennial dioecious vine. Does well in pots. In the humid evenings and mornings, the flowers exude a rich Cinnamon fragrance. Traditional use (TCM, Anthroposophy): Antipandemic, holder of the light. The underground and aerial tubers are eaten and are delicious–bake or slice thinly and fry on a pan. Oh, yum, yum. Direct seed in rich soil or plant in pots fall, spring, or summer. I find that the best method is to press the aerial tuber, which is about the size of a chickpea, into the surface of the soil but not covered by soil. The tuber will push down into the dirt and a sprout will eventually emerge to the side. I tried this again this year, using a deep flat in the greenhouse, and yesterday tugged on the tubers, and they had all extended down into the medium and were locked in place. One has a new sprout coming up. This whole process can take months. Nature is not in a hurry, at least not on human terms, and patience is golden.
Aerial tubers, Certified Organically Grown {SORRY, Not Available to the State of New York and also NO INTERNATIONAL SALES}
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mary (verified owner) –
I serendipitously purchased the aerial tubers pre-Covid out of pure curiosity. They have flourished growing as potted plants in a greenhouse (33-40F winter temps) in northern MN. Their beautiful draping vines catch the eye of every visitor. They produce numerous aerial tubers – I had to see it to believe it…so cool! I also was surprised to see a huge tuber growing out the drain hole in the side of the pot at the end of the season! I pressed the aerial tubers into the soil, let the plant die back in the fall, and kept it in the cool greenhouse over winter. It sprouted back vigorously from the original plant and the fall-planted aerial tubers this spring. This plant is definitely a keeper!
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Question
Mrs, L Mecke (verified owner) –
Is this the same as Dioscorea polystachya ?
Which way do the vines twine looking from above the plant? Clockwise or counterclockwise? Thanks in advance 🙂
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Richo Cech –
yes, you are right, this has been reclassified as Dioscorea polystachya, I’m going to keep calling it batatas because for me it is like a sweet potato. it is indeed the cinnamon vine, the production of cinnamon esters is brief but intense. i don’t know which direction they go. r
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Tim Child –
Last year my Chinese Wild Yam did not come up at least not the vine that i usually see. I did not know if it was just dormant for the year or if it had just mysteriously died for some reason and i had this same vine for years. Part of me wanted to try digging up the roots to see what they looked like and the other part of me wanted to just take a leap of faith and wait and see what happens this year. Well i decided to wait until this year and after a torrential down pour of rain and a planting of some pumpkin yam sweet potatoes my Chinese Wild yam vine decided to reemerge and is doing very well.
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Question
dogsnoseknows –
Any intentions to bring this wonderful energy plant back for availability? I’m enamored of it’s history and many admirers from Rudolf Steiner on…
Would love to be part of the energetic stewardship of this high vibing being if it becomes available again.
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Richo Cech –
hi, yes, we’ve been pretty consistent in having these every year. they are small aerial tubers so they last less long than a hard seed. plus like you say many want to grow them, so there is fast turnover. please be sure to hit “waitlist.” r
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dogsnoseknows –
There is no “waitlist” button available for the Lightroot, or I definitely would have hit it! It just has a message below the description stating “This product is currently out of stock and unavailable.”
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Richo Cech –
OK, too much geekiness to explain, now fixed, use the dropdown and then hit the green waitlist button. r
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Question
Durga –
Good morning, Do you have any idea of whether you will get more of the Wild Yam, Chinese (Dioscorea batatas) in stock soon? Been looking for this plant for years. Any recommendations for an alternate source would be most welcome. Thank you.
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Richo Cech –
hello durga, these would be available from reputable suppliers only in season. A review of our records shows harvest usually in late september. We’ll be enabling sales at that time. cheers. richo
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Question
Victoria –
Are the bulbils for Dioscorea batatas included in the November 29th order deadline? Or are you able to ship these quickly?
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Richo Cech –
yes, these ship on the same schedule as seeds.
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Question
Larz –
I would be getting roots or seeds ? Can I plant them indoors near a big window that gets limited sunlight in the winter and is fairly cold part of the house or plant them in the spring? If I plant in the spring, will they store easily until then?
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Richo Cech –
hi larz, there are lots of photos of the actual aerial tubers here on this page where you’re at–they are neither roots nor seeds– look like barbie potatoes–i would plant them in the colder part of the house near the window–they will grow slowly. for best results, follow directions on packet. r
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Question
thomas eshbach (verified owner) –
I live in Spokane Wa. just got Dioscorea balatas seeds. 11/1/2021 can I plant them now or wait till spring. Thank you, Toby
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Richo Cech –
hi thomas, they’re aerial tubers (bulblets) and they don’t last as long as actual seeds do in storage. They should be planted soon according to packet directions. richo
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Question
Pedro –
Hi, Can you clarify the restriction to NYS? Thanks.
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Richo Cech –
strangely, we got a communication from department of agriculture NY saying that these are disallowed. You might say that NY, among all the states, has the distinction of disallowing this important plant, but it would be better to think of something else that NY does that makes more sense.
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Question
jaclyn_tang –
Is this (dioscorea batatas) the same as ‘Radix Dioscorea’ ?
Thank you.
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Richo Cech –
Hi! Yes, “Radix Dioscorea” is what we call the pharmaceutical Latin. It just means “Wild Yam Root.” The interest in wild yam has skyrocketed since one Chinese study showed that it treats COVID. Richo
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Richo Cech –
Hi Michelle, Zone 8 is pretty warm and in that situation many gardeners will start herbaceous perennials (which make up the majority of medicinal herbs) in the fall. That gives the plants time to grow and develop during the cooler months and then flower come spring to early summer. Some of the plants that work well in warm gardens are: Spilanthes, Ashwagandha, Echinacea purpurea. Richo
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Lesley –
Richo – I live in Indiana, can I plant them in the ground now or should I keep them indoors until spring?
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Richo Cech –
Best to keep in a bright window, they will not do well with frost prior to elongation. Press into surface and keep reasonably moist
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Question
Gordon –
Hello, when will you be getting more chinese or Japanese yams in?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Gordon, The vines are in flower and we should have more aerial tubers starting in September. richo
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Irmgard Tank –
Hi Richo,
Are you already out of them for the season or will they still become available later this month?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Irmgard, They will soon become available. The Japanese ones, too. I could pick them now, but if you wait longer, they become more solid and develop more pronounced nodes, which I think is desirable. Hit “waitlist.” richo
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Question
Tim Child –
How should the aerial tuber be stored for eating and how should they be stored for planting?
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Richo Cech –
these will dry up if left out in the open. Make sure they are surface-dry and then keep in a lidded jar in the fridge. They can be cooked and eaten (more or less like Gulliver eating an liliputian potato) or planted at a later time.
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Question
Marikyn Nardini-Smith –
How does one propagate the Chinese Yam Tuber?
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Richo Cech –
OK, I see that the directions were rather thin, and I often do this when the starting material is obviously alive and the propagation technique is going to be dependent on the zone, the conditions in the particular garden, and the patience and experience of the propagator–all variables. I added some more text which hopefully will be helpful: Direct seed in rich soil or plant in pots fall, spring, or summer. I find that the best method is to press the aerial tuber, which is about the size of a chickpea, into the surface of the soil but not covered by soil. The tuber will push down into the dirt and a sprout will eventually emerge to the side. I tried this again this year, using a deep flat in the greenhouse, and yesterday tugged on the tubers, and they had all extended down into the medium and were locked in place. One has a new sprout coming up. This whole process can take months. Nature is not in a hurry, at least not on human terms, and patience is golden.
Richo
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Question
Tim –
What is the best way to tell the difference between the vine of a Chinese wild yam and the vine of a Japanese wild yam? How long dose it usually take for the Chinese wild yam to begin to flower after it emerges from the ground the 2nd year?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hi Tim,
The Chinese wild yam has a wider leaf than the Japanese. They look really similar–differentiation is all leaf shape as far as I know. Mine are already flowering in June in the greenhouse. They usually flower midsummer when outdoors. They don’t call it cinnamon vine for nothin’, the smell is like the finest Ceylon cinnamon.
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Good Stewardship Farm –
Are the leaves edible? I do know that the leaf juice is used externally for venomous bites. I also use vine crops that are edible to assist feeding my small collection of livestock.
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Richo Cech –
Hello Good, in TCM the Dioscorea is considered mildly toxic. This means the tubers should be cooked before eating, and the aerial parts are used medicinally only. In a way, toxicity may equate to medicinal activity–dosage is important. One of the studies I read listed Dioscorea batatas as the strongest inhibitor of coronavirus. Richo
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