Dioscorea opposita Seeds | Rhizoma Dioscoreae
LATIN NAME: Dioscorea opposita
COMMON NAME: Chinese Yam
Plant Profile
Chinese Yam (Dioscorea opposita) is a distinctive species in the yam family. The Chinese yam tubers twining, climbing stems with glossy, heart-shaped, green leaves and small, greenish-white flowers that open through summer, long, slender, edible tubers growing down into deep soil. Vines climb supports with steady growth, and tubers grow long and straight in loose ground. It likes sun or part shade, and deep, light, well-drained soil. Bees find the flowers quickly, and that pollinator traffic is a garden benefit in its own right. The ratio of effort to reward here is about as good as gardening gets.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the yam family, Dioscorea opposita draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. In the yam family, the Chinese yam has a long, useful record in studies of root crops, and opposita species appears in research on tuber starch and the mucilage. The upshot for anyone sowing it is reassurance — cultivated stock of this plant has a long, well-documented track record.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Chinese Yam for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In kitchen garden, the Chinese yam tubers long roots down into loose soil. Tubers serve cooking, soups and traditional preparations for generations, they keep well in cool store, and glossy, heart-shaped leaves cover the trellis. It thrives in deep, light, well-drained ground. It takes hold quickly and asks for no special treatment from then on.
Yams are a global staple and a medicinal cornerstone: the Chinese yam, Shan Yao, tonifies digestion and lungs in classical formulas, while wild-yam diosgenin was the original feedstock for synthesizing cortisone and early contraceptive steroids, a landmark in pharmaceutical history.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Chinese Yam under ordinary good conditions. Use a loose, well-drained seed compost, sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly, and keep everything evenly moist in partial shade. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
The traditional uses covered above are what first made this species worth cultivating. Given the right start, Chinese Yam is a long-term garden companion. Keep the sowing evenly moist at the start — that is the one real requirement.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Chinese Yam often pair it with these related subjects: