Khamba Alu
Dioscorea alata
Vegetables Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
Dioscorea alata (purple yam or water yam or ‘Khamba Alu’ in Odia, also called Greater yam) is a climbing tuberous herb of the Dioscoreaceae family. The plant produces large starchy tubers eaten boiled, fried, or as a vegetable. Yam is a staple crop in tropical India. The plant is extensively cultivated in eastern and southern India.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun
💧
Water
Regular; moderately drought-tolerant
💨
Humidity
Moderate
🌡️
Temperature
15-38°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining loam
🧪
Fertilizer
Compost annually
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
खम्बा आलू
BN
Bengali
খম্বা আলু
MR
Marathi
खांबा आळू
TE
Telugu
ఖంబా ఆలూ
TA
Tamil
கம்ப ஆலூ
GU
Gujarati
ખંબા આલૂ
UR
Urdu
کھمبا آلو
KN
Kannada
ಖಂಬಾ ಆಲೂ
OR
Odia
ଖମ୍ବ ଆଲୂ
ML
Malayalam
ഖംബ ആലൂ
PA
Punjabi
ਖੰਬਾ ਆਲੂ
AS
Assamese
খম্বা আলু
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indian Subcontinent
- 📏 Max height
- 10-20 m
- 📐 Spread
- 4-6 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White-yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 40+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic
Common issues
- Leaf spot
- caterpillar defoliation
💡 Care tips
- Plant in well-draining soil with appropriate light.
- Tolerates Indian tropical conditions.
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