That said, ornamental sweet potato tubers are planted for their lovely chartreuse, purple or variegated trailing foliage that serves as the perfect counterpoint to offset annual blooms. use escape to move to top level menu parent. New plants can be started with these cuttings to keep an endless supply year round. Gardeners turn to the sweet potato vine for its ability to power through just about anything while bringing interesting shapes, sizes, and colors to a pot or plot. Growing sweet potato vines is something every gardener should consider. Sweet potato weevils and nematodes are serious pest problems with boniatos. While tolerant of drought, these plants prefer to be kept moist (not soggy). Arrives before Christmas. Will you try cooking some up? More Details. Ornamental sweet potato vines come in many varieties and colors, and they look beautiful as ground covers or for contrasts in pots and hanging baskets. Typically used as spillers in containers, they also make fantastic groundcovers, typically spreading 4 to 6 feet. Ornamental sweet potato (ANNUAL VINE) Ornamental sweet potato is an attractive version of the edible sweet potato. Place your sweet potato tuber in a glass of water with the top third exposed by securing it in place with toothpicks. Blackie sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie'): Leaves are lobed and dark purple. The foliage is much more colorful than that of edible sweet potatoes. Decorative Use The vine is also grown for its decorative foliage, vigorous growth habit and drought tolerance. Rinse the cuttings thoroughly under cool running water to wash away any pests, then place them in a glass container or vase filled with clean water. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! This heat loving perennial will die back if the plant experiences hard … Explore this online platform for Chicago-area residents to share their favorite stories about trees. It’s lovely texture blends well in gardens and can be used as groundcover for all-over coverage. Black Heart sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas 'Black Heart'): Leaves are heart-shaped and dark purple. It is a weakly twining vine and it is a poor climber. A vigorous annual or a tender perennial, it takes off in summer heat. Margarita sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas 'Margarita'): Chartreuse leaves, some lobed and some heart-shaped. The vigorous growth and drought tolerance of ornamental sweet potato vines makes them great choices for mixed containers and hanging baskets. G ardeners you will be so excited to learn how to grow a sweet potato vine from a sweet potato. Even better, the leaves are edible and tasty. It is a cascading plant that comes in either bright lime green- ‘Margarita’, purplish black – ‘Blackie’; or variegated. You may know it as Marguerite, Sweet Caroline, Blackie or one of the other popular cultivars of this plant. In containers, make sure there are adequate drainage holes. I did have trouble with the potato rotting, so I cut off the tubers, and potted them into soil. Our trees. Sidekick™ Heart Bronze Ipomoea Plant (Sweet Potato Vine) Price: 7.25 Shipping Spring 2021 - view dates here. Stop by, email, or call. Often grown in container gardens for its trailing stems of purple, chartreuse, or variegated foliage, ornamental sweet potato vine is actually related to the sweet potatoes you'd grow in your vegetable … It does produce sweet potato tubers, and though these won't cause any harm if eaten, they tend to be bland and bitter. This unique plant is popular for containers and borders. In this article, we will share some smart tips and information to help you grow these lively, colorful plants successfully in any setting. While you may be able to coax your plant into producing sweet potato vine seeds, they aren’t guaranteed to be good, so it’s best to propagate in other ways. The ornamental sweet potato is a bold tropical plant that grows as a perennial in Florida. Sweet potato vines enjoy a bright, sunny location outdoors with similar conditions in the home. Yes, you can store the tubers for next spring’s planting. This plant has some cultivated varieties. A very easy plant … Series includes. This is an easy process and the ornamental leaves are stunning. Alternate, heart-shaped leaves. The fruit are small, dry capsules; seldom produced. Ornamental sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) makes an excellent addition to any garden.They do well in traditional flowerbeds, in landscaping and are wonderful container plants.. They can also be kept as house plants. Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menus and submenus. Garden varieties of the edible sweet potato have been selected for their flavor while the ornamental varieties were … Proven Accents® Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red Ipomoea Plant (Sweet Potato Vine) Price: 9.25 Shipping Spring 2021 - view dates here. This plant grows like topsy making it perfect for ground cover and your garden beds. While it does produce edible sweet potato tubers (albeit not very palatable and bitter), the ornamental variety bears more colorful foliage, making it a popular houseplant. Series includes. Have tree and plant questions? Commercial sweet potatoes have been bred for over 100 years selecting for those with the best sugar to starch content (hence the name SWEET Potato), the ornamental have been bred to produce good leaves and no tubers, though they do form, they are composed of almost pure starch and no sugar; making them a poor choice for eating. Ornamental Sweet Potato Winter Care Ipomoea butatas, or sweet potato vine, thrives in hot, tropical climates and is an ornamental foliage plant often used as a foil for flowering displays. Get expert help from The Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic. Browse the curated collection and add your voice! Get it as soon as Wed, Dec 23. It is quite vigorous as a ground cover. The following menu has 3 levels. The ornamental sweet potato vine is not grown for edible consumption. cuttings from your sweet potato vines before the plant is nipped by frost in autumn. In no time, there were tubers growing from the potato, and I planted it to soil. Use up and down arrow keys to explore within a submenu. $18.99 $ 18. Ornamental sweet potato vines don’t produce many flowers, which means they often don’t produce seeds. Ornamental sweet potato will grow about 10 to 12 feet long. Using ornamental sweet potato in planting design. Overgrown or leggy looking plants can be cut back to encourage bushier growth and keep them under control. The tuber is edible, but these ornamental plants have not been bred for flavor, so the tubers may not be tasty. You can search, browse, and learn more about the plants in our living collections by visiting our BRAHMS website. Stem cuttings can also be placed in water with rooting taking place within a few weeks. Ornamental sweet potato vines are easy to grow garden annuals in many parts of the country. They can also be grown outdoors as annual ground cover in flower beds. Growing sweet potato vines is not too difficult. Many ornamentals are also sterile and only really viable to produce from cuttings. Ornamental sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) is valued for its colorful foliage and rapid, easy-care growth habits. Follow these steps to planting and growing your own sweet potato vine indoors. They also are popular as indoor plants, and can be grown inside year-round or just during the cold of winter. The bold, brilliantly coloured leaves can be used to complement cordylines, heliconias, palms in a tropical inspired garden. The care of sweet potato plants is similar to most other vining houseplants in the home, spending summers outdoors. Within a submenu, use escape to move to top level menu parent. Plant a sweet potato in water, and almost before your eyes it transforms into a sprawling vine with lime green or purple-tinged leaves. Do you have a favorite recipe for the stems or leaves to share? The ornamental sweet potato plant (Ipomoea butatas) is somewhat different from its southern grown vegetable sibling. Use enter to activate. I have a sweet potato vine with large wrinkly seed pods growin on the vine Grown and cared for like average houseplants, these attractive vines add a little something extra to the home or patio. Use an organic sweet potato. The Morton Arboretum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on the generosity of members and donors. Similar color variations to the Sweet Caroline series. Give them well-draining soil whether they are grown in pots or in the ground. Root decay caused by Rhizopus, Diplodia, and Fusarium prevents long-time storage of the roots. This is a weak climber and may need to be trained onto a support. Winterizing A Sweet Potato Vine: Overwintering Ornamental Sweet Potatoes, Philodendron Houseplants: How To Care For A Philodendron Plant, Why Morning Glory Is Not Blooming: Getting Morning Glories To Flower, Japanese Plum Yew Info – How To Grow A Plum Yew, Is Lemon Cypress Cold Tolerant – How To Winterize Lemon Cypress, Golden Cypress Care: How To Grow A Golden Leyland Cypress Trees, What Plants Grow Indoors In Shade: Houseplants That Like Shade, Information On Dutchman’s Pipe Pruning And When To Prune Dutchman’s Pipe Vine, Spruce Trees For Landscaping - Spruce It Up With Evergreens, Western Juniper Trees: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Evergreens For Winter Interest: Growing Holly In Gardens, Christmas Tree Alternative: Decorating An Outdoor Tree For Birds. Most cultivars feature foliage that is colorful, usually shaped or both. Ornamental sweet potato is an attractive version of the edible sweet potato. 3.1 out of 5 stars 67. Sweet Potato Vine is known for it’s trailing growth, making it excellent for containers and hanging baskets. Use up and down arrow keys to explore within a submenu. Sweet Caroline Sweetheart series sweet potato : Cultivars in this series are more compact in their growth and have heart-shaped leaves. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. When growing ornamental sweet potato vines, there are a number of varieties to choose from. It is an annual vine. They make beautiful houseplants too.. In the fall simply remove all foliage from the tuber, wash off any soil and let the tuber dry thoroughly for about 24 hours. Sweet Caroline series sweet potato : Cultivars in this series are more compact in their growth and have deeply lobed leaves. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Winterizing Sweet Potato Vines by Cuttings Take several 10- to 12-inch (25.5-30.5 cm.) From top level menus, use escape to exit the menu. Keep reading for more ornamental sweet potato info. Most cultivars feature foliage that is colorful, usually shaped or both. 99. Ornamental sweet potato vines are versatile plants that are equally suitable for filling outdoor containers, spilling over a wall, or covering ground in a landscape bed. They are seldom produced. Go to list of cultivars. Ornamental sweet potato vines may start small, but some varieties will have you swimming in lush leaves by mid summer. Plants also complement various garden styles. Ornamental sweet potato vines can add a pop of color to your yard, and the leaves and stems of this species can bring something new to your plate. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), named for its edible cousin, is an ornamental warm-season annual grown for its attractive leaves and vining habit. Illusion® series sweet potato : Cultivars in this series all have very deeply cut leaves. This climbing vine will scale a trellis or grow as a ground cover. The foliage lends a tropical feel to the garden and comes in a range of colors and varying forms. Our future. On many common cultivars, the leaves are lobed into 3 to 5 lobed. This is a weak climber and may need to be trained onto a support. It … 1. Our communities. We do not seem to have this in our living collection. Ornamental sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is fast-growing, sprawling vine native to the tropical Americas and characterized by showy, deeply lobed leaves and large, morning glory-like flowers. Full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Popular types of ornamental sweet potatoes include: You might be asking yourself about how to grow an ornamental sweet potato plant. Twining vines climb by twisting their stems or leaf stalks around a support. Building the urban forest for 2050. Ornamental sweet potato is an annual vine, but it produces an underground tuber that can be dug at the end of the season and stored indoors for use in the garden next year. Flowers are small, pink and trumpet shaped. Ornamental sweet potato tubers are, indeed, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas). They are easily propagated either from small rooted pieces from the eye buds of the tuber or by stem cuttings–no plant seeds to worry with as with their morning glory cousin. This describes the ornamental sweet potato vine. In a container, the vines will quickly flow over the edges. Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menus and submenus. It will need to be trained onto the support. Let us know in the comments! This plant produces vine-like stems similar to the philodendron and requires similar care to that of ivy when grown indoors. Ornamental sweet potatoes are the same species as the edible kind but they have been selected for their interesting foliage, not their tasty roots.You’ll need lots of brown sugar and … The ornamental sweet potato plant (Ipomoea butatas) is somewhat different from its southern grown vegetable sibling. This beautiful vine has grown quickly in popularity for its fast growing habit and lush foliage. AMERICAN PLANT EXCHANGE Sweet Potato Vine Live Plant, 6" Pot, Desana Lime. Although most gardeners are familiar with annual sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) for their edible, smoky-sweet orange tubers, the ornamental sweet potato vine puts its energy into fountains of deeply lobed or heart-shaped, spring-to-fall leaves. Many people toss these plants out at the end of summer and replace them each spring (at a cost of $3-$5 per pot), but there is an easy method to overwinter them, even in harsh climates. Sign up for our newsletter. Foliage on the species is green, but cultivars may be chartreuse, purple, bronze or variegated. One that really can take heat and grow non-stop is the ornamental sweet potato vine. The taste is a cross between a regular potato and sweet potato! Though prolific growers, you may fertilize monthly, if desired, using a general all-purpose, water soluble fertilizer. I started the vine from a store bought sweet potato. The bloom in the picture is the end result. They also thrive in heat. Sweet potato vine grows as a perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. Natural Areas Conservation Training Program, Black walnut toxicity (plants tolerant of), Preventing construction damage to trees and shrubs, Trees and shrubs for the four seasons landscape, Sudden Oak Death, Ramorum Blight and Phytophthora ramorum, Eastern United States Wetlands Collection. Not be tasty an easy process and the ornamental sweet potato in water, and potted them into.! 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