Date: 24 Jun 2018
Elephant Foot, Turtle Shell - back in stock!
Dioscorea
elephantipes.
Dioscorea is a curious plant
with tuber above ground level covered with layers of corky
bark, resembling a caudex. It is a slow growing, very
unusual succulent. Tuber contains saponins, originally
cooked and eaten as a famine food by the Hottentots.
Caudex that grows up to 6' in nature, resembling an
elephant's foot and looks as if it is segmented into
geometric patterns (smaller plants look like tortoises)
and looks dead but is actually a living tuber. A plant
with 18"caudex can be almost 100 years old! The plant
grows into a vine with attractive heart-shaped leaves and
small yellow flowers. Culture is relatively easy. The
vines may die back and regrow several times a year,
depending on the particular plant and your region. The
plant doesn't send down deep roots, so plant in a shallow
pot about 1" larger than the diameter than the caudex. Potting soil should be very
porous/loose so that there is easy drainage. Water
well around the edges. Keep in a warm area and wait for
the first shoots of the vine to appear. Water regularly
from that point on. The plant should not be kept damp as
with other tropical plants. Allow it to dry before
watering again. Many books will say that they are winter
growers, because they are native to the southern
hemisphere. In fact, they grow in all seasons! Let the
plant be your guide. You cannot force them to grow, and
over watering will simply cause them to rot.
Elephant Foot is a collectors item, but remarkably easy to
grow. It will be with you for years with no effort. It is
a wonderful conversation piece! See more info about Dioscorea
elephantipes.
We have limited stock, while supply lasts, hurry up!
*** 4-6"caudex *** 6-8" caudex *** 10-12"caudex *** Seeds. Don't forget special TopTropicals Adenium Soilless Mix
that perfectly works for this plant!
