Wild Yam
Dioscorea villosa
Heart-shaped leaves wind quietly through shrubs and branches, with three-winged seed pods into fall. The native vine that completes a woodland edge.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
A graceful, understory vine that completes the woodland layer without demanding anything. native ecology made effortless.
Wild yam is one of those plants that makes itself at home in a woodland edge without you noticing until it's beautifully woven through everything else. Heart-shaped leaves in alternating patterns catch light differently as the vine winds upward through shrubs and low tree branches. Small greenish-white flowers appear in summer, followed by attractive three-winged seed pods that persist into fall. This is a vine for naturalistic plantings, not formal trellises. It threads through the understory the way it evolved to: as part of a layered ecology, not a standalone specimen. If you're building a shade garden or woodland edge and want a native vine to complete the canopy story, wild yam fills that role quietly and reliably.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown wild yam propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 5–12 ft · 24–48 in wide
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Dioscoreaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for wild yam.
Prefers part shade to full shade with consistently moist, humus-rich soil. Dies back to the ground each winter and re-emerges from a tuberous root in spring. No pruning required. Mulch around the root zone in colder zones. Does not need fertilizing in woodland soils.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside wild yam.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.