Plant in a very well-draining gravelly soil with the caudex shaded from direct full day sun and the stems growing up into partial to full sun. Water occasionally and fertilize lightly when in active growth and expect dormancy in late spring and early summer (though it seems to occur somewhat randomly) and when dormant water should not be applied. The starching caudex can attract certain herbivores - notably we have found tree squirrels like to gnaw on the caudex, which disfigures it.

Dioscorea elephantipes grows naturally in arid inland regions of the Cape region of South Africa where it grows naturally on rocky slopes with its caudex in shade beneath thicket vegetation and its leafy tendrils reaching up into the sunlight. The genus is named after Pedianos Dioscorides, a Greek physician if the 1st century A.D and the specific epithet means "elephant foot" in reference to the large caudex, with thick hard, corky plates covering the interior that is rich in starch, which also gave it an alternative name Hottentot Bread. Another common name is Turtle Back. 

The information displayed on this page about Dioscorea elephantipes is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.