Dioscorea Elephantipes

Dioscorea elephantipes, the elephant’s foot or Hottentot bread, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae, native to the dry interior of South Africa.

This summer deciduous climbing plants is beloved for it’s unique fissured caudex which grows to resemble a tortoise shell or elephants foot.

Larger examples can be extremely expensive today.

These smaller plants in nursery pots are an affordable way to get started with this amazing plant. All you need is patience.

Caudex diameter for plants in this batch range from 1 to 1.5 inches for the plants in 3.5 Inch pots and 1.5 to 2.5 Inches for the plants in 6 and 7 Inch pots. Every one has a different shape but all are beginning to show the characteristic fissuring typical of these plants. Seedlings in 3 inch pots are well started but still smooth, around 1 inch in diameter.

Free local pickup in San Francisco, potted. Otherwise ships bare-root without pot.