Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)

Wild yam is an ornamental perennial vine, with dangling but nondescript flower clusters, interesting heart-shaped leaves, and distinctive (though nonedible) fruits. It grows best in full sun but can survive in part shade without producing flowers. Yellow-green flowers bloom in late spring, and will vary in appearance depending on whether the plant is male or female. (Plant sex cannot be determined until maturity, so you may wish to purchase a few to increase odds of cross-pollination.) Wild yam prefers medium moisture in soils that are well-drained, moist, or occasionally dry. This is a herbaceous vine, so it dies back to the ground in the winter and emerges in the spring. Grow plants on a trellis to help provide a seasonal visual screen. Although it was used historically in native American and other traditional medicines, there is little modern clinical research to support it being safe or effective in humans. Deer and other mammalian herbivores tend to avoid the foliage. 

Wild yam vine is native to eastern North America as far north as southern New England, where it is common and widespread in forests, floodplains, and wetland margins. Provides nesting and cover for birds and some small animals. 

Photo by Doug McGrady, Flickr

BONAP Native Range Map (bright green indicates county native, dark green indicates state native)