Cultivation and propagation: Dioscorea sylvatica responds well to cultivation and makes an easy and wonderfully unusual houseplant. Plants even five to ten years old are extremely nice. Vigorous, annual climbing stems can grow to as much as 4 or 5 meters in a season, however these can be trained quite comfortably around a wire hoop set in a pot when grown indoors.
Exposure: It prefers light shade but keep the caudex in the shade.
Waterings: It needs moderate to regular water. Slow down or withheld water when the tuber is dormant in summer (after shedding its leaves). It will start growing again in Autumn. Watering can recommence once the plant has shown signs of producing a fresh shoot.
Hardiness: It is easy to grow if a winter temperature of 5° C can be maintained.
Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz
Blooming Season | November to February. |
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Common Name | Forest elephant's foot |
Dormancy | Summer |
Family | Dioscoreaceae |
Flower | Green |
Frost Tolerance | -2° c |
Growth Rate | Slow growth |
Hardiness Zone | 9 to 12 |
Height | 4 or 5 metres |
Origin | Africa. |
Pot Size | 3.5" |
Scientific Name | Discorea sylvatica |
Shape | Distinctly heart-shaped |
Sun Exposure | Partial shade |