I'm a freelance writer from Colorado. I'm writing a story about this vine and I'd like to talk to you about your posting concerning this plant. Since now address is listed, I'd like to for you to contact me at Wingspire@aol.com

Many thanks,

Marcia

to see growth of 10 to 30 feet a month is not out of the question for these vines.

They do look kinda nice with the big leavs but I would not wish this plague on my worst enemy.

A couple of more years and some herbicide and I may win the battle.. except for the woods full of them behind my house. They will be attacking from above now.

This noxious weed is like wishing more kudzu on the fine people of Georgia. Just blink and it is sprouting up somewhere. I don't even toss this in my compost, goes right in the garbage for the garbage people to incinerate; think thats the only way to kill it.

I have much more problems with the purple sweet potato vine becoming invasive. I'm constantly battling it trying to jump the sidewalk and head for the yard. Talking tubers!

It did provide a most welcome, cool shade for a porch in the hot south Georiga sun. I don't know how invasive it was there as she had nothing around the house except lawn.

I think this twining vine puts out pretty large heart shaped leaves and is perfect for covering ugly fences in the summer time. They love the Texas heat. Just don't let them get near trees or shrubs or they will strangle them. Whats good about them in our area is they die out in December and restart themselves in March-April.

And since they twine and do not cling to things, they won't damage painted surfaces. I just pull the dead vine off the fence in the winter and wait for it to start again in the Spring.
I can see where this stuff could get invasive if left uncontrolled.
Has anyone else out there had grapefruit size tubers produced?

what_a_mess@hotmail.com

Bobbie

If any 'taters have dropped, they sprout.
If I don't want the sprouts there, I pull them up.

Pretty easy to tend to, but you can't just ignore them
or they will spread.

Because they grow where I enter and exit the
yard several times a day, it takes but a moment to pick
up a few of them on my way in and out. Of course, I'm
not that fussy about my garden, but I do keep an eye
on it and yank what I don't want there.

Pick up your potatoes. ;-)

I store the taters in a ziplock bag in my laundry room over winter. In spring they sprout while still in the bag. Plant them with the sprout pointing up.

Seems weird... but if you plant them before they sprout be sure to plant them with the root end pointing up. The sprout comes out of the center of the root end.

Squirels, racoons, birds and any other furry and cuddly critters that live near you might take tubers and plant them in natural areas. Since these creatures are very skilled gardeners, they will get them to grow and that is how they become invasive. You can control the roots all you want. Heck, you can even throw them in a trash can. Then when some wildlife decides to open your trash can and take the tuber to it's home, it then causes a problem. That is why you should not mess with this plant, especially when over 50% of the posts say it's terrible.

This concludes the helpful reminder

The point is, yes, a lot of things can be invasive to a gardener, but when it's becomes a problem is when it displaces natives or is causing eclogical damage, which air potato does here in Florida.

I guess the question becomes, do you ban it in other regions even though it isn't considered invasive there? Because as FLneedsTrees said it is spread by other animals, and I'm sure unwitting humans when they move to Florida.

Interesting topic.

Here's link to a program in Florida. Before moving to Japan I participated in this round up. These are not nice plants to say the least. PF

>They aren't invasive in central AL. I don't think they come back unless you replant.<

Well I stand corrected, at least about having to replant. I didn't replant this year and THEY'RE BAAAAACK, but not to the point of being invasive.

That's ok with me, I like them.

The one with coconut, softball, or grapefruit-sized bulbils ("tubers") is Dioscorea bulbifera and it can grow up to 80 feet in length and has large leaves. This is the monster eating southern Florida. It appears to crave high humidity and frequent rainfall, so that is why it is not as much of a pest further north or in dry parts of Texas.

Dioscorea alata is a much less common variety with squared stems that almost have "wings" off of them. It doesn't flower worth noting or have very large leaves, and so there doesn't seem to be much interest in cultivating it here in the U.S. so its unlikely most of the folks on this discussion have it. It does get the attractive leaves even though they are smaller, and it does grow quickly and could be a pest if given the chance, as could the others. It also does not appear to be capable of overwintering outside of the deep south.

Dioscorea oppositifolia, the Chinese yam, is the one with the cinnamony-smelling flowers. It has smaller leaves, and does not attain the lengths of the others, though one plant can grow a healthy 10 feet or more. The bulbils are not usually bigger than golf balls and most are pea-sized, but every one of them can sprout a vine in areas with high humidity and moisture. The leaves are glossy and handsome, and the vine tough and stringy. It could easily crawl over low native plants and shrubs and kill them due to its ability to thicky shade. The bulbils can stand southern winters just fine... therefore this vine is considered invasive even in Kentucky. This vine has the propensity to get away from you because the tiny bulbils can fall due to the vine being shaken, brushed, or even blown by wind. It can easily make hundreds of pea-sized bulbils. Add to this that these bulbils taste better than the other varieties and you have a recipe for them being spread by wildlife as well as gravity.

That being said, my current infestation of this vine in East Tennessee is no worse than my infestation of chokevine, morning glories, or Japanese honeysuckle, all of which tend to have the same habit. I have found that if I can't get the root up, repeated pulling of the vine at its base eventually exhausts the tuber. Round up is also effective.

I feel that growing one or two vines in a pot, and pulling the bulbils off as they form (much like deadheading annuals) would probably contain this vine even in states where it is considered invasive. Each gardener should strongly consider whether s/he has the time to dedicate to doing so before committing to this plant. I can tell you that cleaning up after someone else's infestation was not gratifying ;-) And the vines, left to their own devices, do not flower - it takes true cultivation to achieve it (which explains why it performs better in a pot.)

My neighbor asked me to help her transplant some cattails from a marshy area enclosed by concrete to the open marsh behind her house. Research told us that their growth is "rampent". We decided she should container grow or just enjoy them down the block.

Kudzu is a rather nice looking, shady vine when there is only one.

I have a very long fence that I would like to cover with air potatoes. I need probably 50-100 and would be willing to trade,etc. I am in zone 7 and our winters are tough and they are not invasive because they can not survive the cold.

I have all kinds of plants to trade.

Thanks,
M. Pearce.

I'm open to trying a plant in an indoor pot, if I can figure out which type is edible and where I can get one.

Here's the Malawi text of interest:

The "potatoes" grow up to 10 cm and may be cooked and eaten just like a normal potato. They also store very well through the entire dry season, so you can eat them right up until the next rains come. Keep them stored in a cool dry area and they will start to sprout when they are ready to be planted again. Once they sprout, simply plant the whole tuber in the ground near a tree or other supporter and watch them climb. Once you have planted an Air Potato, it will continue to grow each year in the same place. It will go dormant during the dry season and then grow again bigger and with more potatoes in the following years. Not only is this a great staple crop, but it’s also fun to grow and show other people! (Note: there is a poisonous variety of this plant but the tubers look different with bumps on them and more oval, plus they tend to be much smaller).

I saw the post naming the Dioscorea oppositifolia, the Chinese yam, as the best tasting, with the tiny bulbils and cinnamony-smelling flowers. That's confusing re size, per the Malawi source. The USDA shows 29 species of Dioscorea. But I've already spent too much time in front of my computer.

a) A major invasive plant in Florida
b) Often grown out of Florida as an annual vine
being very frost sensitive

That being stated, perhaps *emotions aside* those of you
who have them can share with those who want them and are
NOT in Florida?

Many of us folks lose ours if the tubers are not kept
carefully, which I know you find understandably amazing.
But it would be good to just get the facts out there
and let the ones who can, have - by the grace of the ones
who need them not.