A rare find in these parts of the country, the Dioscorea elephantipes has been found on the Hopewell Nature Reserve. Elephant’s Foot usually occurs more commonly up the coast into the Lowveld and Mpumalanga.
It is an unusual plant with a fleshy tuber that protrudes above the ground. It has a remarkable similarity to the underneath of an elephants foot.
Blacky Witbooi, our nursery and landscape foreman with a rare Elephant’s Foot plant
There have been other species eradicated locally due to their demand as a valuable source of commercial steroids from the Chinese, Central American and Indian market.
The plant has a traditional value as a remedy for hysteria, convulsions and epilepsy.
Another typical use is for the tuber root to be hollowed out, filled with water and heated. It is then used to treat cuts and sores.
The plant has also been harvested illegally as a favoured domestic garden plant.
