Sunkissed Garden

Ube Purple Yam Plant and Tubers -Dioscorea alata

$30.00 USD

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Live starter plants - bundle of three $50

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Description

True Purple yam live plants and fresh tubers for sale to grow your own or to use in recipes! NOT purple sweet potato. Purple yam vines have a twisted-looking appearance. They produce large nutritious yams that can remain discreetly underground to increase in size for several years instead of being harvested. Hard to find, wildly popular plant.

Scientific Name

Dioscorea alata: Also known as purple yam, ube, greater yam, winged yam, Guyana arrowroot, water yam, and ten-month yam. It is sometimes confused with taro and the Okinawa sweet potato D. alata.

Features

Resilient: Very prolific plant that has rhizomes that can be divided to produce multiple plants. Can withstand temperatures as low as 22ºF. while dormant.
Pollination: A self-fertile variety
Stunning Aesthetics: Exotic, abundant, lush, gorgeous deep green foliage give your garden a tropical vibe and a stunning garden centerpiece.
Drought Tolerant Can withstand hot, humid temperatures

Perfect Growing Zones

Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 7b-11. If you reside within these zones, congratulations—this plant is for you!

Culinary Uses

Ube, or purple yam, a staple in Filipino cuisine, finds culinary use in diverse desserts and savory applications, offering a unique sweet, nutty flavor and vibrant purple hue.

Ube is now making a scene in the American foodie trend. It is now being used to make ube truffles, ube leche flan cupcakes, and ube donuts.
Tubers may also be pounded to produce flour or starch.
Purple yams can be boiled, mashed, fried, or baked – much like a potato or french fries. They can be used in stews, stir-fries, and soups, and in the Philippines, they are often made into flour, which is often used in desserts.
Ube can be processed into a powder that is used to create vibrant purple color in Instagram-worthy foods like candy, rice, cakes, desserts, and jams.

Here's a breakdown of its culinary applications:

Desserts:

Ube Ice Cream: A popular and creamy dessert.
Ube Cakes: Known for its moist texture and unique purple color, often used with macapuno (a type of coconut).
Ube Mochi: Chewy and delicious, combining the flavor of ube with the texture of mochi.
Ube Milk Tea/Ube Flurry: A popular drink featuring ube flavoring.
Ube Pancakes/Waffles: Adds a vibrant color and flavor to these popular breakfast items.
Ube Custard Cake/Puffs: Adds a unique flavor to custard-based desserts.
Ube Halaya: A jam or spread made from mashed ube.
Ube in Halo-Halo: adds a unique taste and color to this popular dessert.

Savory:

Ube in Bread/Pancakes: Incorporating ube into savory bread or pancake dough.
Ube in Soups/Pasta: Adding ube as a flavor component to savory dishes like soups or pasta.
Ube in Croquettes: Using ube in a croquette or other savory recipe.

Medicinal Uses

Touted as a survival food due to the phytonutrients that contribute to its vivid purple color are where its greatest health benefits lie.
Blue-pigmented berries and purple vegetables like ube yam are full of flavonoids called anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol antioxidant,
Animal, test-tube, and human studies have strongly suggested that consumption of foods containing anthocyanins may offer protection from such conditions as cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and some types of cancer.
Two anthocyanins in purple yams – cyanidin and peonidin – could reduce the growth of some cancers, including colon cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Studies using concentrated amounts of cyanidin and peonidin showed that they slowed the growth or reduced the number of human cancer cells
They are rich in vitamin C, which is needed to keep your cells healthy and protect your DNA from damage. Purple yams are full of antioxidants that help to protect your cells from damage by harmful free radical molecules.
Flavonoids in purple yams could help lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. They do that by reducing oxidative stress and insulin resistance through protecting insulin-producing cells in the liver.
One study of 20 rats showed that giving them higher amounts of purple yam extract lowered their appetite, encouraged weight loss, and improved their blood sugar control. This is probably due partly to purple yams having a low glycemic index number. Purple yams have a GI of 24, meaning that carbs are broken down slowly in a steady release of energy. This is a good alternative to potatoes
Purple yams could help the good gut bacteria in your digestive system. They are full of complex carbs, and resistant starch (a type of starch resistant to digestion). A test-tube study showed that the resistant starch from purple yams increased the number of beneficial Bifidobacterium in a simulated large bowel environment. These bacteria may help reduce your risk of conditions such as colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. They also produce healthy fatty acids and B vitamins. (*see sources below)

Growth Habits & Best Practices

Height: A lush tropical beauty that can grow up to 100 feet when trellised.
Light: Loves sun but can tolerate partial shade.
Soil: Rich, well-draining soil keeps this plant happy.
Dormancy: During winter, late November or early December, in zones 1-7 the plants are dormant up to March or April. The plants wither and then dry and lose foliage, but roots live underground unless they die in a prolonged freeze. Grows as a perennial in zones 7-11

Where to Plant

A sunny - or - dappled light location in your backyard with a trellis or a tree for the vines to grow on; however, it's adaptable enough for a sunny room in your house too!

Planting Guide

Dig a hole as wide as the pot or plant rhizome, approximately 2-4" deep
Remove the plant or rhizome and place it in the hole.
Fill the hole with soil and water generously.
Bring inside during winter in zones lower than 7
Container - Plant 2-3” deep in good quality, well-draining potting mix.

Care Routine

Regular watering, but let the soil dry between watering.
Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer every year

A Little History

Ube has been known to humans since ancient times.

Fun Facts

Ube Festival A popular annual festival celebrating all things UBE!

Ideal For

Preppers who want to be self-sufficient instead of relying on external sources for sustainable, nutrient-dense hidden food sources that continue to grow underground.

Home gardeners in warm regions who love showy plants.
Gardeners looking to add visually stunning plants to their landscape.

🚫 Not Ideal For

Those residing in frigid regions below USDA Zone 5, unless you can bring a potted plant indoors for winter.
Gardeners who have no sun or trellis.

*Sources

Colon cancer. One study showed up to a 45% reduction in tumors in animals treated with dietary cyanidin, while another test-tube study found that it slowed the growth of human cancer cells (14 Trusted Source, 15).
Lung cancer. A test-tube study observed that peonidin slowed the growth of lung cancer cells (16 Trusted Source).
Prostate cancer. Another test-tube study noted that cyanidin reduced the number of human prostate cancer cells (17 Trusted Source).

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Ube Purple Yam Plant and Tubers -Dioscorea alata