Guest Author - Connie Krochmal
The elephant’s foot is an unusual succulent that is worth considering.
Also known as Hottentot bread, this is a species of Dioscorea. This makes it a relative of the yam.
This strange species is native to South Africa. It is really quite different looking than many succulents.
It has a brown caudex with a tuber-like appearance. In this species, the tuber or caudex has a thick, leathery, cork-like covering with intricate markings that give it the resemblance of a turtle’s shell.
Very slow growing, this will require some time to reach maturity.
In younger plants, the fleshy caudex or tuber is quite small. For mature plants, this can reach three feet or more in diameter.
From the tuber arise twining or climbing, slender, vine-like stems. These can be seven feet or more in height. The stems are clothed with small green foliage. This is deciduous, shedding when the plant goes into dormancy. It can range in shape from heart-shaped to three-lobed or triangular.
Elephant’s foot remains dormant for an extended period—up to four months of the year. During this rest, the stem will die back.
This species is one of those that re really fun to grow because it is a little different. Small ones are sometimes grown as houseplants.
There are several reasons to favor this plant. First, there’s its appearance, which is very unlike that of other succulents. In some respects, this tuber is treated almost like an amaryllis bulb. Both are potted so that the bulb shows above the surface of the potting soil or garden soil. Both have rest periods.
Elephant’s foot needs to be kept evenly moist when it is actively growing. Unlike most succulents, the soil shouldn’t be allowed to dry out between waterings.
The plant does bloom late during the growing season. The yellowish-green flowers, which are rather small and insignificant, open in loose clusters.
Elephant’s foot is grown mostly for its value as a curiosity. It can easily be propagated from seed.
The Mexican tortoise shell yam is a related species. This one is grown for its unusually large caudex, which is checkered and ridged like that of a turtle shell. Like the elephant’s foot, this yam as well as its relatives is grown mostly as a novelty.
