Actually, there are a couple of temperate zone Dioscorea species that are hardy to about Zone 5. I have the Chinese Mountain Yam, which some sources label as D. batatas and others give a different specific name. Whatever it's called, it is fully hardy here, and makes a lot of white aerial tubers in late summer that are about the size of a nickle and taste basically like a slightly less starchy white potato. I like to gather them up and boil them whole and make them into potato salad -- my couple of vines usually yield up to 2 quarts of them. I did try digging up a small, self-sown one once, and it had a very small tuber, about 1 inch in diameter and 8 to 10 inches long. Never tried digging into the older ones, as both are planted on trellises in flower beds and I don't want to disturb them. Oikos, Raintree, and Sand Mountain Herb Farm all sell starts of this plant. Here is what Oikos has to say about them: Here is a link that might be useful: Oikos Tree Crops link about Chinese Mountain Yam

This thread is drifting away from the original topic, so forgive me if I attempt to clear up some confusion regarding "yams". Chinese yams are true yams, of the genus Dioscorea. True yams are mostly tropical or sub-tropical vines, although the Chinese yam (Dioscorea batatas) will survive in most temperate climates. As mentioned by KatyaKatya, these vines form small bulbils on the vines (the "air potatoes") which can be eaten or planted. Chinese yam is also sold as an ornamental under the synonym "Cinnamon Vine", because of the scent of its flowers. It is an aggressive climbing vine, which can cover a shrub or small tree in one season. They form very large, very deep underground tubers, but these require more than a year to reach full size. It's worth noting that the tubers remain in good quality even after several years. By contrast, sweet potatoes, while often misnamed as "yams" in the U.S., are Ipomoea batatas, and are members of the Morning Glory family. They do not climb, do not form bulbils above ground, and form their underground tubers in a single season. They are not related to true yams. KatyaKatya, how old are your vines? And how have they held up over your winters?

farmerdilla, Thanks for your comments. However the tuber I have is neither the species/variety of yam nor the sweet potato that you describe. Dioscorea alata (at least some varieties) has intensely colored purple flesh like that I see. Dioscorea batatas does not. I believe, but I'm not 100% sure, that Dioscorea alata is the only one of the genus that has flesh of this color. Certainly it is by far the most common species of the color. It is also known as Ube. As far as availability, the market I found it in was not technically "Asian" but it is in a neighborhood that is more than 50% Asian, mostly Chinese. It has lots of fruits and vegetables that I'm not familiar with. And the name "Chines Yam" is often applied to D. alata, although not as frequently as D. batatas is. However D. batatas would not have purple flesh. If it were a sweet potato, from what I understand it's most likely Okinawan puple sweet potato (I don't know of any other purple varieties, and nothing I've looked into suggests that a different variety that is commonly sold has purple flesh). As far as size: yes yams CAN grow big. Is D. alata generally sold as tubers greater than 4 lbs? No. From "The South American Table" by Maria Baez Kijac: "The yam (Dioscorea alata), called name in South America, is native to Africa but now grows in many tropical regions of the world. Yams are usually the size of large potatoes, but some may weigh up to 100 pounds." Just to complicate things, I'm positive that the tuber has been abraded so that it looks paler in color--there are darker, scaly regions where it looks like the abrasion process didn't (and often couldn't) reach. Lightly colored regions only exist where it looks like regions of the skin have been scratched off. Imagine dragging you fingernails multiple times across the surface--the parallel markings would look like this. I have a regular yam right next to it--it has paler, slightly yellow skin that is smooth. It's not the Okinawan variety--it has white, slightly yellow flesh. So what it boils down to is whether the purple colored tuber is the purple colored yam (D. alata or Ube) or the purple colored sweet potato (Okinawan purple sweet potato). I've spent quite a while looking and haven't found the answer. And again, this is in precisely a neighborhood where you might expect to find real Dioscorea, not just mislabeled sweet potatoes.

Hi! I have quite a few named daylilies and your perennials sound exactly what I'm looking for. I also have lots of shade plants, many natives and rare. I'll attach my list here; have a look and let's see if we can trade. I also have madonna lilies, chinese trumpet species, etc. If you don't see it, just ask. Happy Spring! Lily Seeds I have to trade: Canna edulis Canna, others Roses, too many to list here Other seeds - hundreds; too many to list, just ask Seeds I am looking for: Coffea sp. Dahlias Plants I have to trade: Very large variety of Cacti & other Succulents Jack-in-the-Pulpit, native variety Dutchmen's Breeches, pink and white flowered Maidenhair Fern Male Fern mosses Trout lily: white with pale pink flowers and heavily purple mottled foliage Solomon's Seal Variagated Solomon's Seal Sedum tel. "Black Jack" very black foliage Sedum "Angelina" Agave pups, 3-4 types More cacti & other succulents than I know what to do with! Hatiora & Rhipsalis' Peonies; too many to list Mayapples Purple Sessile Trillium Purle foliaged clover, hardy to zone 5 ****Terrestrial Orchid, Aplectrum hyemale. Very rare. Native. Easy to care for. Will only trade a few to maintain the balance in my woodland habitat. and only for a really special trade. Gooseneck Loosestrife Heirloom Daffodil, 1620, N. telemonius plenus. naturalizes well and each bulb mutates at will. All are very double; some are all yellow, some look like peonies on a bad hair day with white, green and yellow petals. Heirloom Daffodil N. actaea. Orig. "Poets' Daffodil. Bluebells, Virginia - Mertensis virginica gentain blue native fragrant woodland phlox. 18 in. tall. Bamboo, Yellow-groove Native red & yellow columbine groundnut - Apios americana - few trades Cinnamon Vine - few trades - Dioscorea batatas Variety german bearded Iris Lime Balm - yes LIME Catnip Daylilies: species H. fulva Autumn Red Catherine Woodbury Coryton Pink Fairy Tale Pink Joan Senior Ruffled Apricot Honey Redhead Currant Red Bells of Gold Peach Blow Pink charm Big Kiss Miss Jessie Open Hearth Strawberry Candy Regency Summer Bamboo Blackie My Ruffled Jewel Emma's Pastel Ruffles Lady Neva Orchid Corsage Memphis Knight Elfin Illusion Hostas: Spilt Milk Sun Power Aphrodite Sum & Substance Blue Angel So Sweet Patriot many more... Lg. variety ornamental grasses Cannas: Cleopatra, Black Knight, Journey's End, Bengal Tiger, few trades of each Saffron Crocus-limited number French Shallot bulblets Plume Poppy - Macleaya cordata Lemon balm Surprize Lily - Lycoris sqamigera Giant Butterbur - Petasites japonica var. 'Gigantia' Garlic Mustard aka Jack by the Hedge - Alliaria sp. Several types of Cryptanthus Hoya, Mexican rope Osmanthus longistylus - rarer native form of Sweet Cicely. tastes the same; easier to care for. Looks similar. Angelica atropurpurea Seneca Black Snakeroot Roses: Here's the list of roses available & the list of ones I can offer cuttings from: Species: R.x hibernica - Wild Irish Rose R. woodsii R. rugosa typica R. rugosa alba R. davidii R. pomifera (alpine rose) R. foliolosa R. harrisonii R. nitida Others: Ballerina Sir Thomas Lipton Rosarie L'Häye Hansa Therese Bugnet Cuttings: Old Blush Narrow Water Scot's Briar - R. spinosissima Stanwell Perpetual The Gift Zepherine Druhin Veilchenblau R. xanthina Blanc Double de Coubert R. alba semi-plena - White Rose of York R. damscena officinalis - Apothecary or Red Rose of Lancaster Kazanlik R. moschata Commandante Beaurepaire Don Juan R. mulliganii Moonlight R. acicularis Betty Prior Dorothy Perkins R. pendulina R. eglanteria - apple-scented foliaged Eglantine rose of Shakespeare Carefree Delight R. glauca Many more; too many to list; just ask! I also have over 300 plants from which I can trade cuttings, such as: Arctic Kiwi male & female, Viburnum opulus var. rosea, Red twig dogwood, 15 or so different varieties of Elderberry and the same number varieties of willows; etc. Plants I am looking for: Sedum roseum aka Rhodiola rosa - will make a trade for this very worth your time!!! Thalia sp, fragrant Amer. Water Lily Clubmoss Trillium grandiflorum Azolla Bananas; any variety Kaffir Lime Fairy Moss; floating Water lettuce other trilliums Dahlias: purples, cactus forms, tempt me. Cattail Agapanthus, any blue variety Bald Cypress seedlings water lilies, minis - hardy Lotus, hardy Wild blueberries Wild strawberries Wintergreen Wild ginger, European - Asarum europeum Grecian Foxglove - Digitalis lanata water hyacinth BULBS! Tempt me! Crinums Hardy water plants: scouring rush, water fern (floating), Pickerel weed Bog Plants Woodland plants Canna 'Stuttgart' Canna 'Australia' Lavenders- ANY! but, stoechas, any others Rosemary - any form; upright or prostrate Lady's Slipper Orchids Thymes Species roses, such as: Rosa carolina, R. palustris, R. arkansana, R. californica, R. primula, R. virginica, R. ecae, R. moyesii, R. canina Other roses: The Fairy, Little White Pet, Lavander Pinocchio, Cafe Ole, Basye's Purple, miniatures, purples, multicolors for hobby hybridizing.