General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Wet Mesic
Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 8 to 15 feet or more.
Fruit: Other: 1 inch oblong, 3-celled capsules, maturing to greenish-gold. Each capsule contains three to six, winged seeds.
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Fall
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: Green
Other: Greenish-yellow
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Underground structures: Rhizome
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Miscellaneous: Dioecious

Image
Common names
  • Wild Yam
  • Colic Root
  • China Root
  • Devil's Bones
  • Rheumatism Root
  • Wild Yam Root
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Dioscorea villosa
  • Synonym: Dioscorea hirticaulis
  • Synonym: Dioscorea sativa
  • Synonym: Dioscorea quaternata

Photo Gallery
Location: Undisturbed woodland, Gainesville, GA
Date: 2023-04-28
Location: National Botanical Garden, DC, Virginia :) | May, 2022
Date: 2022-05-28
Location: National Botanical Garden, DC, Virginia :) | May, 2022
Date: 2022-05-28
Location: Lucketts, Loudoun County, Virginia
Date: 2009-05-19
Location: Lucketts, Loudoun County, Virginia
Date: 2009-05-19
Location: Lucketts, Loudoun County, Virginia
Date: 2009-06-01

Date: 2002-06-08
Stephen J. Baskauf (http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/)

Date: 2004-05-05
Stephen J. Baskauf (http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/)
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-18

Date: 2009-11-04
Photo courtesy of: H. Zell
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Date: 2005-05-27
Photo courtesy of: Tim McCormack

Date: 2010-03-22
Photo courtesy of: H. Zell

Date: 2010-03-22
Photo courtesy of: H. Zell
Uploaded by SongofJoy
Uploaded by SongofJoy
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Jan 18, 2012 1:34 PM concerning plant:
    Produces the hormone diosgenin used in steroids.

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