Wild sweet potato, also known as yam bubble, has a sweet taste and can be eaten. The whole plant can be used as a medicinal herb, known for its ability to dispel wind and eliminate dampness. It can be decocted for internal use or applied externally. Due to its wild nature, the yield of wild sweet potato is not high, making it relatively expensive in price.
Characteristics of Wild Sweet Potato
Wild sweet potato is a perennial vine plant that stays green throughout the year. Its stems creep along the ground and its leaves can be used for greening in parks or places prone to trampling.
The vines of wild sweet potato grow in a crisscross pattern, naturally forming a "giant fishing net" that firmly holds loose soil and sand. With the dense leaves acting as a permanent cover, it resembles a green carpet.
This special ability to prevent sand and solidify soil is unmatched by other ground cover plants. It has potential value in developing as a landscaping plant, and can be planted in combination with economic trees.
Wild sweet potato can also be used as hanging bonsai for its fruits and leaves, or directly planted in some garden scenic areas. Its stems are lush green and elegant, giving a feeling of thousands of green silk hanging down when fully grown.
The stems of wild sweet potato are soft and tough, with leaves measuring 2-6 centimeters in length and 2-4 centimeters in width. They are evergreen and serve as good fodder for herbivores, especially rabbits, geese, and ducks, which consider them a delicious delicacy in winter. However, the leaves are leathery and not consumed by chickens.
Medicinal Uses of Wild Sweet Potato
1. Dispels Wind and Eliminates Dampness
The entire plant of wild sweet potato can be used as medicine, with its most important effect being the dispelling of wind and elimination of dampness, as well as promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is often used to treat conditions such as bronchitis, rheumatism, and edema. It can be decocted for internal use or applied externally.
2. Stops Bleeding and Detoxifies
Wild sweet potato has a good hemostatic effect. When someone experiences continuous bleeding from an injury, it can be directly crushed and applied to the affected area to achieve a good hemostatic effect. It can also be used to treat snake bites by following the same method, changing it once a day to quickly eliminate toxins from the body.
Price and Yield of Wild Sweet Potato
The young fruits of wild sweet potato are green, and when ripe, they turn pale red and emit a fragrant and sweet scent. As a nutritious and health-promoting fruit, it can be eaten fresh or processed into dried fruits.
Wild sweet potato is suitable for cultivation in fruit orchards, transforming traditional single-season orchards into double-season orchards. The fruits can be used to make jam, juice, and other products.
In 2018, the average price of wild sweet potato was around 25-35 yuan per kilogram, and on some shopping websites, it could reach around 35 yuan per kilogram. Wild sweet potato is more commonly found in rural areas, and many people born in the 70s and 80s have childhood memories of digging wild sweet potatoes in the mountains.
As the availability of wild sweet potato decreases, its scarcity increases its value, and it can be found at higher prices in the market, although prices vary in different regions. The average price of wild sweet potato is around 25-35 yuan per kilogram, and on some shopping websites, it can reach around 35 yuan per kilogram.
Since wild sweet potato bears fruit in May and matures in June, it starts to rot around mid-June to July, resulting in a short fruiting period. Coupled with the fact that it cannot be planted in the same area within a year (except in some localized areas), the yield per acre cannot be estimated. However, some farmers can achieve a yield of around 1,600 kilograms per acre.
