Turtle plant ∗ The big guide from A to Z

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Dioscorea elephantipes
• Family: Yam family (Dioscoreaceae)
• Synonym: elephant foot
• Origin: South Africa
• Growth type: climbing plant with caudex
• Growth height: 3 m to 5 m
• Leaf: heart-shaped
• Flower: panicle
• Fruit: capsule
• Roots: rhizomes
• Hardiness: not hardy
• Use: houseplant

growth

The South African turtle plant (Dioscorea elephantipes) is probably the most striking and interesting plant species within the yam family (Dioscoreaceae). Its German name is an apt allusion to the rounded, thickened shoot axis, whose surface structure is reminiscent of a tortoise shell. Fast-growing, herbaceous climbing tendrils sprout from the slow-growing caudex. These idiosyncratic growth characteristics make the exotic houseplant unmistakable:

• growth type: herbaceous climber with a semi-aboveground storage organ with a woody-cracked structure.
• growth habit: deciduous, twining/climbing with trellis, creeping (without trellis).
• growth height: herbaceous plant parts 3 m to 5 m.
• stem/stem axis: roundish, thickened caudex with a diameter of 30 cm to 50 cm, rarely up to 100 cm.
• special feature: variable growth and rest periods, independent of the season.
• Horticulturally interesting properties: easy to care for, sensitive to frost, tolerates pruning, slightly poisonous, easy to propagate, bizarre, long-lived.

Young tortoise plant seen up close

Sheet

Twining tendrils sprout from the caudex of a tortoise plant and are adorned with these decorative leaves:

• leaf shape: stalked, cordate, weak veins.
• leaf color: glossy green, yellowing before dormancy.
• arrangement: alternate

blossom

The tortoise plant thrives dioeciously with separate sexes. Male and female flowers are on separate individuals. For cultivation as a houseplant, the flowering ecological aspect is of secondary importance. Dioscorea elephantipes rarely blooms far from its African home regions. At an advanced age and under ideal conditions, flowers with these characteristics are formed:

• inflorescence: pendulous panicle with single flowers.
• single flower: short-stalked, stellate.
• flower color: yellow

digression

What does "variable growth and rest periods" mean?

Plant turtle plant

Tortoise plants can occasionally be bought in specialist shops for succulents, cacti and tropical plants. Prices start at 7.90 euros for a 2 cm caudex and reach 500 to 850 euros for a 50 cm caudex. Hobby gardeners buy seeds for a thrifty EUR 3.50 and propagate the African elephant foot sowing. Read these tips about successful propagation, the right choice of location and expert planting techniques:

Propagation by seed

A turtle plant is through sowing easy to multiply. The following overview lists all important framework conditions:

Location

The ideal light and temperature conditions at the site are closely related to the current status of a turtle plant.

• growth phase: full sun to shade, warm, sheltered from wind and rain at 20° to 25° Celsius.
• rest period: shady and cool-tempered at 10° to 15° Celsius.
• temperature minimum: briefly 5° Celsius, permanently 10° Celsius.

planting tips

The correct planting of a Dioscorea elephantipes stands and falls with the substrate quality and planting depth. Further criteria are the right pot size and a precaution against waterlogging. A look at these planting tips conveyed insights worth knowing:

• A permeable mineral mixture is suitable as a substrate cactus soil, sand and expanded clay.(€19.00 at Amazon*)
• A finger-thick drainage made of expanded clay on the bottom of the pot prevents waterlogging.
• The correct pot size is twice the diameter of the caudex.
• Planting depth is correct when the caudex is half to two thirds above the soil surface.
• A suitable climbing aid is available for the herbaceous tendrils, for example a bamboo trellis or wooden trellis.

Tending tortoise plant

The variable growth and rest periods have a significant influence on the care of a tortoise plant. When and how to water a Dioscorea elephantipes, fertilize, cutting and overwintering depends on whether the plant is currently growing or dormant. The following care tips bring light into the darkness:

care during the growth phase

The start of a growth phase is easy to recognize when tendrils and leaves sprout. Now the care is picking up speed with these measures:

• Repot the tortoise plant, cut off dried roots and repot with fresh ones succulent soil.
• Water regularly with filtered rainwater or decalcified tap water.
• Allow the substrate to dry between waterings.
• Please note: ball dryness triggers a premature resting phase. Waterlogging causes the caudex to rot.
• Add a liquid fertilizer for succulents to the irrigation water six to eight weeks after planting or repotting.

Care during the rest period

The tortoise plant announces that it has entered its dormant period when the herbaceous parts of the plant turn yellow. In the transition to dormancy, please gradually reduce the watering. At the same time, the roots in the ground also die off. Please give the morbid fading free rein, because valuable nutrients are shifted to the caudex. In the end, the process leads to this maintenance:

• Change of location to a shady to semi-shady location with 10° Celsius.
• Cut off dried tendrils and leaves.
• Water very sparingly without letting the caudex dry out.
• Don't fertilize.

diseases and pests

Regardless of the growth and resting phase, diseases, pests or care errors can cause headaches. The following overview draws attention to common damage patterns, names the causes and gives tips for effective countermeasures:

Popular Varieties

No varieties are known of the tortoise plant (Dioscorea elephantipes).

FAQ

Can a tortoise plant overwinter in a partially shaded location?

Overwintering in a semi-shady location is possible if a tortoise plant is currently in its dormant phase. Under these conditions, a Dioscorea elephantipes tolerates temperatures of around 15° Celsius without exhausting itself by sprouting weak horny shoots. However, if the African succulent is in its growth phase, a sunny location and temperatures around 20° Celsius are obligatory.

Is the tortoise plant poisonous?

The tortoise plant is classified by botanists as slightly poisonous. Like all yams, the caudex of a Dioscorea elephantipes contains toxic substances such as the saponin diosgenin and the glycoside amygdalin. After consumption, the latter turns into hydrocyanic acid in the intestine. In family households, a location out of the reach of children and pets is therefore recommended.

Is a Dioscorea elephantipes hardy?

No, a Dioscorea elephantipes is not hardy. The succulent plant from the yam family is native to the subtropical climate of South Africa. Turtle plants cannot withstand temperatures below freezing. The brief temperature minimum is 5° Celsius.

Can the turtle plant oversummer on the balcony?

If day and night temperatures exceed 10 degrees Celsius, you can clear out a turtle plant. The right location on the balcony depends on the current floral condition. If the plant is in its growth phase, a full sun, warm location is ideal. If the rugged caudex is without shoots or leaves, a shady, cool location is advantageous for the duration of the dormant phase.