White Yam is a perennial grown for its root. It's hardy across USDA zones 10 through 12. Its flowers are a modest draw for native bees, even though the root is the prize. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.
White Yam — the short answer
White Yam: grown in zones 10–12, full sun, pH 5.8–8.5.
- USDA zones
- 10–12
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.8–8.5
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temperature
- 48.2°F
- FAO ECOCROP
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score White Yam on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether white yam actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score white yam against your land's real conditions.
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What White Yam is
White Yam grows as a perennial.
How to grow White Yam
White Yam grows in USDA zones 10 through 12. White Yam does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.8 to 8.5, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 180 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
10-12
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.8 - 8.5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
48.2°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
59°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Frost-Free Days
180+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Sow directly
Sow white yam seed straight into the bed — root crops germinate fast and resent transplanting. Give them full sun.
Match the soil
White Yam prefers pH 5.8 to 8.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Pull while roots are young and tender — sweeter than oversized ones. Local Cooperative Extension guides publish timing tables.
Where White Yam thrives
White Yam is hardy across USDA zones 10 through 12. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 10–12 spans average winter lows from 30°F to 60°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 8 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 10–12·Where White Yam growsOpen map →
Where White Yam stands, state by state
White Yam is rated for zones 10–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 8 more, and 43 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
8 states
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
- Arizona · zones 5b-10b
3 of 8 shown
White Yam’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around White Yam
Growing guides for white yam
In rotation planning, white yam counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in vegetable
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — white yam is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Cornell Poisonous Plants Database.)
White Yam offers low value to bees and other pollinators.
Before you harvest white yam, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant white yam for food. Our free screen reads 9 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Your land is one point inside White Yam's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if White Yam will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether white yam actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about White Yam
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow White Yam in my zone?
White Yam grows in USDA hardiness zones 10 through 12 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant White Yam?
Most growers plant white yam after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 180-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does White Yam need?
White Yam needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does White Yam need?
White Yam prefers soil pH 5.8 to 8.5, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does White Yam attract pollinators?
Yes — white yam's flowers are a modest nectar source for native bees.
Is White Yam safe for pets?
White Yam is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Cornell Poisonous Plants Database.)