wild yams prefer fencerows and its not uncommon to find it in briars along old railroads, woodlots

a round point shovel works ok for this.

although it does resemble Virginia snakeroot........Virginia snakeroot vines are much smaller and the roots are completely different.

theres a look a like plant that has thorns on it........that's not wild yams.

i'm not sure how it got the name of wild yams because they look nothing like yams to me.

there pretty easy to wash and I just dry in direct sunlight on a tarp and cover it up at night to keep the dew and moisture off.........store the dried product in paper bags...plastic draws moisture and will ruin it.









Wild yam is a plant. It contains a chemical, diosgenin, which can be made in the laboratory into various steroids, such as estrogen and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The root and the bulb of the plant are used as a source of diosgenin, which is prepared as an “extract,” a liquid that contains concentrated diosgenin

Wild yam is also used for treating a disorder of the intestines called diverticulosis, gallbladder pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and for increasing energy.

Some women apply wild yam creams to the skin to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.