$15.00 AUD
$20.00 AUD
Elephant Yam is a striking tropical aroid grown for its dramatic flower, bold foliage, and impressive underground corm. A member of the Araceae family, it’s related to familiar ornamentals such as arum lilies, philodendrons, monsteras and syngoniums.
Well suited to tropical and subtropical climates, Elephant Yam occurs naturally from India through to New Guinea and northern Australia. In Australia, it grows seasonally in tropical Queensland and the Northern Territory, making it well adapted to warm, humid SEQ conditions when frost is avoided.
This plant follows a unique cycle—producing one spectacular inflorescence, followed by a single, tree-like leaf.
The flower consists of a thick central spadix with a deep purple crown, surrounded by a large mottled purple-green spathe up to 50 cm wide.
When pollinated, the flowering spike can reach up to 2 m tall.
Like many Amorphophallus species, the flower emits a strong scent similar to rotting organic matter—this attracts natural pollinators such as flies and beetles 🪰
After flowering, the plant produces one enormous leaf that resembles a small umbrella tree:
Leaf span: up to 1 m wide
Stem: thick, fleshy, mottled green, up to 2 m tall
Highly ornamental and architectural when in full growth
Elephant Yam is deciduous, dying back completely at the end of the growing season to a large underground corm that can weigh up to 8 kg.
Light: Bright light, morning sun or dappled shade
Soil: Rich, organic, well-drained soil
Water: Regular watering during active growth; reduce sharply during dormancy
Position: Sheltered, warm, humid spot protected from frost
Containers: Excellent pot specimen in cooler parts of SEQ
👉 When pot-growing, choose a container at least twice the diameter of the corm and plant the corm deeply for stability.
Apply an occasional high-phosphorus fertiliser during the growing season to support leaf size and corm development. Avoid fertilising while dormant.
From corm offsets
From fresh seed sown in a slightly acidic mix
⚠️ Transplant only after the leaf has fully died back, as most stored energy is used to form the leaf and next season’s corm.
In parts of Asia, particularly Indonesia, selected varieties of Elephant Yam are grown as a food crop. (Note: not all forms are suitable for consumption without proper preparation.)
The main issue in cultivation is nematodes—healthy soil, crop rotation and good hygiene help reduce problems.
Plant Sizes: 50mm tube stock - Deciduous in winter yam only
All orders are posted on Mondays via Australia Post and include tracking.
The only times this may change are when:
Where an order contains both time-sensitive and non-essential products, we will select the most appropriate postage option to ensure your order arrives safely while keeping shipping costs as affordable as possible.
Once your parcel has been lodged with Australia Post, you will be able to follow its progress using the tracking information provided.
Thank you for supporting our small Australian family business.
Local Pickups and Deliveries:
For local pickups and deliveries feel free to contact us via email.
Our address is: 98 Lady Elliot Drive, Agnes Water
raredragonfruit@outlook.com
Phone: 0417 217 887
Dragon Fruit Cuttings are 20cm+.
We do have a couple of dragon fruit varieties that are extremely slow growing and will be 10cm but this information is included in the listing.
We’re transitioning non-essential orders to regular post, helping reduce our shipping carbon footprint by up to 90%. A small change that makes a big difference. 🌱📦
Express shipping will remain available for time-sensitive items.
