Dioscorea elephantipes plants for sale are seedlings home-grown in the Living Desert Plants greenhouses. They will be sent with some soil on their roots so that they do not dry out.
Where it grows
Dioscorea elephantipes is native to South Africa. It occurs in four distinct localities, with one locality in the Western Cape, and three localities in the Eastern Cape.
Special features
The ‘elephant’s foot plant’ is the most iconic and recognizable caudiciform succulent, with an attractive aboveground caudex resembling an elephant’s foot. The stem produces artistic fissures and cracks, which generally forms into short protrusions in mature plants. If properly cared for, these plants can reach ages of up to 70+ years in cultivation. The largest recorded specimen was more than 3 meters tall.
Like most Dioscorea, this species is dioecious, which means that there are separate male and female plants. Both are needed to pollinate and produce seed. It is also deciduous, and will lose its leaves in summer.
It is also known as the ‘olifantvoet plant’ in Afrikaans. Other names include the Turtle Back plant, elephant’s foot yam, and Hottentots’ Bread plant.
Care Guide
Dioscorea elephantipes is not a fussy plant, unless it is overwatered. It prefers a lightly shaded location in the greenhouse. Avoid keeping the caudex in sun. The ‘elephant foot plant’ requires a very well-draining soil mixture with plenty of gritty components. A medium with akadama and pumice is preferred. Water well during the cooler months, once it has grown its first leaves, but keep completely dry in summer when it does not have leaves. Let the plant tell you when to water it: Water when it has leaves, keep it dry when it does not have leaves. This species is extremely prone to rot if it is watered when it is dormant.
Growing season
Autumn and winter.
Propagation
It is not possible to propagate Dioscorea elephantipes from cuttings. The only method to propagate this species is by sowing seed.