Hanging Sweet Potato Vine Plant

A hanging basket is a good choice for this plant s vining habit.

Hanging sweet potato vine plant. They are bred for the beauty of their leaves rather than edible tubers and the vines from these plants make them look more like a morning glory or clematis than a member of the potato family. The care of sweet potato plants is similar to most other vining houseplants in the home spending summers outdoors. Where to plant sweet potato vine. Sweet potato vines add loads of interest and color as they cascade down over baskets and containers.

Ornamental sweet potato vines are in the same family as edible sweet potatoes and are in fact the same species. The sweet potato plant or sweet potato vine has been cultivated for around 2 000 years for its sweet tasting tubers. Plant a sweet potato in water and almost before your eyes it transforms into a sprawling vine with lime green or purple tinged leaves. It is said that columbus brought the plant to europe from the new world on his expedition missouri botanical garden though the variety of sweet potato plant that produces the edible tubers can be planted for its trailing vines more recently different variations have been.

Sweet potato plants can provide a beautiful low ground cover in planters that will trail out over the edge. While tolerant of drought these plants prefer to be kept moist not soggy. Though prolific growers you may fertilize monthly if desired using a general all purpose water soluble fertilizer. The vines grow up to 10 feet or more.

The ornamental varieties are simply cultivars of the species plant. For a similar trailing effect you can plant your sweet potato vines in pots or hanging baskets. Care of sweet potato plants. There s multiple ways to use sweet potato vine in your landscape.

Follow these steps to planting and growing your own sweet potato vine indoors. Making them even more attractive they are fast growers and can fill open spaces quickly. Even better the leaves are edible and tasty. Purple sweet potato vine ipomoea batatas blackie has deeply loped leaves from 3 to 4 inches across and 4 to 6 inches long.

It grows all year in u s. Use an organic sweet potato. It s lovely texture blends well in gardens and can be used as groundcover for all over coverage. Ornamental sweet potato vines may start small but some varieties will have you swimming in lush leaves by mid summer.

2 sweet potato vines. Plant the sweet potato in a container of potting soil when each vine has as least four to six leaves. Leave all of the stems exposed. Here we compare three different varie.

If you are looking for a trailing plant with big foliage power then the sweet potato vine is for you. Use a well draining pot large enough to accommodate it comfortably.