Just wondering if any of you veg gardeners have tried these Dioscorea
batatas - Chinese Yams or Cinnamon vine?

I was given a tiny one 6 years ago and when it didn't die over winter I kept
it as I quite liked the leaves, when it was 3 years old it started flowering
lots and the scent at this time of year is wonderful, then last year it
started producing masses of small tubers in the leaf axils which I
understand you can eat or use to grow an annual crop for the yams at the
roots

http://www.apiosinstitute.org/diosco...as-chinese-yam

Here is a picture of mine as of today
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89219640@N04/9620369901/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/8921964...n/photostream/

So is it possible to grow any meaningful quantity of these outside? and do
they taste nice?
I shall carry on growing it as an ornamental as the scent is so good and the
leaves are nice as well (and nothing eats it!)
--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

In article ,
Charlie Pridham wrote:
Just wondering if any of you veg gardeners have tried these Dioscorea
batatas - Chinese Yams or Cinnamon vine?

I was given a tiny one 6 years ago and when it didn't die over winter I kept
it as I quite liked the leaves, when it was 3 years old it started flowering
lots and the scent at this time of year is wonderful, then last year it
started producing masses of small tubers in the leaf axils which I
understand you can eat or use to grow an annual crop for the yams at the
roots

http://www.apiosinstitute.org/diosco...as-chinese-yam

Here is a picture of mine as of today
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89219640@N04/9620369901/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8921964...n/photostream/

So is it possible to grow any meaningful quantity of these outside? and do
they taste nice?
I shall carry on growing it as an ornamental as the scent is so good and the
leaves are nice as well (and nothing eats it!)

The answer is probably "no" to both, unfortunately, but my information
relates to other species of Dioscorea. It is possible that one is
an exception.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Charlie Pridham wrote:
Just wondering if any of you veg gardeners have tried these Dioscorea
batatas - Chinese Yams or Cinnamon vine?

Not a very useful answer, but - congratulations on keeping yours alive
for a while! Mine died the first winter. :-(