Dioscorea mexicana.

[Stan]

Thanks to (A-Ville member),I have a bucket list plant. Always wanted one for decades. It's just never happened as the rare times they were for sale was just out of range. I see where Geoff says they are not as hardy to cold as D.elephantipes from South Africa, even if the zone rating is the same. I take it the D.mexicana is more demanding of a dry winter? No problems,just bring indoors.
Here it is upside down after a overnight soaking in water. Then planted up.

[Stan]

Another note: The main stem was broken in transit. I read that this plant can actually form new "turtles" iF the stems nodes are laid flat on media. Right now its been in water..soon in a plastic with moss. Decades of no Elephants plants..can I end up with a factory of them?..lol. I WISH.

[RustyShakleford]

Any new growth yet? I met a lady yesterday to buy some plumeria cuttings and she had a crate full of these almost all of them had 3-4’ vines growing out. I of course couldn’t pass up getting a few(or maybe a dozen), I might post a few for sale in the classified section. From what I have read these are more rot resistant the D elephantipes and faster growing. Also more likely to stay evergreen in temperate climates. However the rule of not watering when dormant still applies. I read that these were also used to make birth control pills in the days before synthetic hormones. Keep us posted on its growth.

[Stan]

No show on growth..it's only been 70f days so far. I guess the 78f- 80's won't be until June as a steady diet. The roots looked ready to root. I expect its settling in right now.
Prices on the net are all over the range. Most high. Not sure what you really get for $50.
I would expect Rusty you have no problems selling them. They really got a nice deep fissured bark. No waiting around a decade for that.

[RustyShakleford]

They sell pretty quick usually. $50 will get you a 4-6” most places online. I sell them from $30-45 depending on how defined the pattern is. The 6-8” are usually listed for $99 and up. I sold a really nice well defined pair of 6-8” for 185 shipping included on eBay. Probably would have went for more sold separately but It was less hassle dealing with one person. If I get a chance I will post some of the small ones I have in the classified section later today.

[Stan]

They sell pretty quick usually. $50 will get you a 4-6” most places online. I sell them from $30-45 depending on how defined the pattern is. The 6-8” are usually listed for $99 and up. I sold a really nice well defined pair of 6-8” for 185 shipping included on eBay. Probably would have went for more sold separately but It was less hassle dealing with one person. If I get a chance I will post some of the small ones I have in the classified section later today.

I saw one from a dealer that was about the size of a football and it listed for $1600.
I think even at the smaller size they make a big impression. People notice them!

[Stan]

I'm pretty sure its dead. I lifted it a few hours ago. No roots. Those in the photo are now just stubs. No white.
On the other hand? The cutting is off and running. It's going to be a learning experience to see how a smooth green stem becomes a turtle.

btw, I think this isn't a rare thing. I had somebody tell me it took 3 or 4 tries to get one to take from those sent with no soils,before he got one going.

[Stan]

Lucky enough,that the stem that broke in transit? It rooted. IF it had not broke of course I never would have cut it off the plant. It probably would have shriveled on the plant and died.
So amazing to think that stem..will grow into a caudex. Maybe that little bit of rough stem is it? We will see. I knew it was taking a chance to try one. But,at least I now have a Dioscorea!

[Meangreen94z]

Well, atleast both didn’t die.

[RustyShakleford]

Just saw your post about the caudex not rooting, is it rotten or soft anywhere? If not I would keep it planted and water it more. What kind of light do you have it in? If the caudex is in full sun move it to a shady spot and give it a good watering. Glad you got the stem to root, I haven had any luck getting them to take, but no problems with the caudex not rooting. Even one that I received with an area damaged from previous rot is growing and has roots.

[Stan]

Its indoors by a sunny window. I'm going to keep watering. Haven't tossed it out. Give it more time,but its not looking good.

[Stan]

Nah,dead.
The rooted cutting is doing great. So, its a wash..or even I'm still ahead. $15 for a healthy lush vine. The turtleback will be one day.

[Meangreen94z]

The one Rusty sent me has done well under a plant light on my porch. It’s taken off and wrapped itself around my Agave Havardiana. Here it is growing with my Jatropha Berlandieri. I water them every 3-4 days.

[Stan]

I watered. If anything did not help was i put it outdoors from the start. 2 weeks of that and i brought it indoors. What roots it had in the photo? are just short dead spikes now.
Yours looks great..flowering too. So far my foliage doesn't look like that at all. Tomorrow post photos of it all.

[Meangreen94z]

The area they kept those at Quality Cactus was exposed to outdoor elements, but had a shade cloth overhead. They only average 22” rain down there in the Rio Grande Valley vs. our 50”+. They are about 5*F hotter during the summer highs and about 10*F warmer during the winter lows.(9a vs. 10a). The sunlight was pretty intense down there, we can get similar if the humidity burns off after a dry sunny week(this week).

[Stan]

I was tired when I posted. I see now thats its the Jatropha leaves and bloom. Jeez.

[Meangreen94z]

Yeah, not the best pictures either. Taken at night with my plant light for illumination.

[Stan]

It collapsed. I think that settles it. Hey,Rusty- no problemo,the vine part is thriving,and of course it's FAR from the first plant to die on me. It wasn't some huge investment and like I said,I DO have a D.mexicana now for my modest moneys.
So dude..POST MORE. Its like you disappeared!

[Meangreen94z]

That unfortunately seems to be a thing on here, atleast with Texas members. Strong initial interest and then move onto other things. There was another member, Djrfeller, from San Antonio that posted for a while and sent me several interesting Agave. I think he’s tied up in medical school now.

[abborean]

Or maybe they don't have anything to say at the moment!

[RustyShakleford]

Lol, I still lurk here occasionally, work and plants seem to take all of my time up these days! Have some pics I need to post of a some south Texas giant plants I have come across. Sorry to hear about your Dioscorea Stan, glad your vine made it, I couldn’t get any of the ones I tried to take root. Will try to post up some pics tomorrow. For now I will post this teaser. By far the biggest Beaucarnea I have ever seen in person. Located in Harlingen Texas.

[Stan]

You must have been reading my mind..I was going to post an update since it is now a few stems 16" or so. Deep green,tiny leaves. I have yet to brush away the base to see if its got a baby turtle so to speak, in there.

Huge Beaucarnea...fully hardy here but you could wait a lifetime for them get as large as the left branch and trunk area. Maybe that big.

[Stan]

Here it is today with but a smallest of budding caudex. Sort of look right now like a vining Pencil Tree. So far easy grower by a sunny window. As I now understand it,they are more tropical than the African Dioscorea..need warmer winters.

[Stan]

Can't blame anybody on this one but me. Now I know,I should have kept it indoors until it rooted....THEN later when I saw decent growth,try a summer outside. I forget that as warm as it feels to me in summer? It's still 15-20f less than a hot humid climate especially at night.

[Meangreen94z]

Looking beautiful. Over the winter mine grew a shoot/vine about 8 feet long. Once it warmed up about 3/4 of that vine died. Not sure what happened.