This plant is a fast growing vine and is known for its dark reddish-purple foliage. This plant is great for pretty much anywhere you want to plant them especially garden beds, containers, borders, and in landscaping. This plant may share a name with the great tasting vegetable, but it is not as widely used in culinary divisions as it’s relative. This plant is edible but is most commonly used for ornamental use. The roots are edible as are the young leaves which are eaten commonly as greens.
Common Name: Black Heart/Ace of Spades/Sweet Potato Vine/Ornamental Sweet Potato/Sweet Potato
Scientific Name: Ipomoea Batatas
Scientific Background: Ipomoea Batatas, commonly called sweet potatoes or kumaras, are in the family of Convolvulaceae. These plants are often related to potato plants but are barely related to them.
Blooms/Foliage: This attractive plant’s famous foliage is commonly why this plant is planted. The plant’s foliage color is on a fast growing vine with spade shaped leaves that are a lovely green color. The blooms of this plant appear as violet or purple.
Hardiness Zones: This fabulous plant has been known to grow in many places including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Growth Habit: These ornamental sweet potatoes grow on vines and are climbers. This plant’s height varies from 5′-6′ depending on where it is planted, and how it is tended to.
Exposure: The ornamental sweet potatoes should be planted in an area of a garden that receives partial to full sun.
Water: Make sure that this plant receives a fair amount of water to support its beautiful, long vines and big, bold, leaves.
Spread: These plants should be planted with 2′-3′ of space in between each one.
Soil: Plant this plant in rich soil that has high levels of organic matter for best results.
Potential Handling Dangers: There are no known dangers that come from contact of this plant.
Potential Plant Dangers: Though this plant does not require much attention and does not have that many predators, there are some insects that threaten your ornamental sweet potato plants. These insects include sweet potato loopers, a caterpillar that will chew holes in the leaves of your fantastic plant, and the sweet potato whitefly.
Helpful Tips: To add a nice landscaping effect, plant this plant near a decorative fence for it to grow on to create a beautiful scene.