Melinda Myers

Sweet Potato Vine

Botanical Name

Ipomoea batatas

Hardiness

Zones 9 to 11, grown as annual elsewhere

Height

Up to 3 feet long

Flowers

Pale purple, trumpet shaped, usually not seen, grown for foliage in colors of chartreuse, purples, pink and whites

Light

Part shade to full sun

Soil

Moist, well-drained

Planting & Care

• Space 24 inches in ground or 1 to 2 vigorous cultivars per container

Problems

None serious, slugs, whiteflies?

Varieties

• Marguerite - chartreuse, heart-shaped leaves, vigorous
• Blackie - purple, lobed leaves, vigorous
• Tricolor - pink, white and green, smaller, lobed leaves, less vigorous
• Carolina Purple - purple-green foliage, more contained growth than Blackie