The sweet potato is a delicious addition to almost any meal, whereas the Sweet Potato Vine will add interest and color to you landscape. This winter, as you stand at the window on those cold, rainy days, you can plot and plan just where to plant your sweet potatoes, both ornamental and edible.
Are sweet potato vines the same as sweet potato plants?
But that doesn’t mean they taste the same. Popular in container gardens and as groundcovers, ornamental sweet potato vines brighten up plantings with their colorful leaves. They’re actually related to the sweet potatoes you’d grow in your vegetable garden or find in a grocery store.
Do sweet potato vines make sweet potatoes?
Yes, sweet potato vines grown from edible sweet potato varieties will produce edible sweet potatoes. To turn your vines into a crop of tasty tubers, plant them outside in May, and you can dig up the sweet potatoes from underground in late fall, when they’ll be ready to eat.
Can you eat the potatoes from ornamental sweet potato vines?
No. The bottom line is that ornamental sweet potatoes are bred specifically for their foliage, whether it be bright purple or vivid green. They produce fleshy, tuberous roots like their edible counterparts, but the quality of the tubers is generally not suitable for eating.
What is another name for sweet potato vine?
Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), named for its edible cousin, is an ornamental warm-season annual grown for its attractive leaves and vining habit.
Is sweet potato vine poisonous to humans?
The leaves, stems, and tubers of sweet potato vine are not toxic. The tubers are edible, but ornamental varieties were bred to produce lovely foliage, not a delicious crop.
Are all varieties of sweet potato leaves edible?
So, are sweet potato leaves edible? Yes, definitely! Next question: what are “camote tops?” The vines of sweet potatoes (especially the deep purple varieties), are known as camote tops (or kamote tops) in Spanish-speaking countries.
Should I trim sweet potato vines?
Can I trim them to keep them in bounds? The vines of sweet potatoes tend to ramble far and wide, which is why many home gardeners don’t raise them. If vines are wandering out of bounds, try turning them back into the vegetable garden. It’s best not to trim vines; they help feed the potatoes.
What happens if I plant a whole sweet potato?
If you want to try to grow sweet potatoes in your home garden, you’ll usually start by planting slips. Planting whole sweet potatoes will give you vines and roots, but — because the resulting vines are so close together — the roots you harvest will tend to be stunted.
Does sweet potato vine come back every year?
Ornamental sweet potato vines will come back every year if you live in a warm enough climate (zones 9+). However, they will not survive outside through the winter in colder climates.
Are the roots of the sweet potato vine edible?
Like the edible varieties the ornamental sweet potato vine will produce tuberous roots. The purple tuberous roots are edible but gardeners who have tried them, say they’re not tasty. Some gardeners try saving the tuberous roots overwinter much like dahlias. They store them in a cool dark location.
Can you save sweet potato vine tubers?
These versatile plants are tender tubers with zero tolerance of freezing temperatures and are often grown as throw-away annuals. You can save your tubers, however, and save a buck by planting them anew the following spring. There are three different methods on how to overwinter sweet potato plants.
Can you replant sweet potato vine tubers?
Sweet Potato Vine Tubers
The fleshy tuber stores nutrients, water and genetic material for the plant. Each growing season, the plant creates new tubers. A simple way to propagate sweet potato vine plants is to divide the tubers and replant them in the soil. Each section will grow a new plant.
Are there different types of sweet potato vines?
Types of Sweet Potato Vine
- Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’, ‘Blacky’
- Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline’
- Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart’
- Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’, ‘Marguerite’
- Ipomoea batatas ‘Tricolor’
- Ipomoea batatas ‘Desana’
- Ipomoea batatas ‘Illusion’
- Ipomoea batatas ‘SolarPower’ and ‘SolarTower’
Can you grow a vine from a regular potato?
Sure, you can grow a vine from a white potato obtained from the grocery store or garden, but don’t expect a plentiful harvest. Rather, purchase what are called seed potatoes with a “Certified Seed Potato” label from a seed dealer.
What is potato vine called?
Ipomoea batatas
They are bred for the beauty of their leaves rather than their edible tubers, and the vines from these plants make them look more like morning glory or clematis.
How to Grow and Care for Sweet Potato Vine.
| Botanical Name | Ipomoea batatas |
|---|---|
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| Soil Type | Moist, well-drained |
| Soil pH | Neutral to acidic |
What if my dog eats a sweet potato vine?
If your dog is suspected of ingesting sweet potato vine, the veterinarian may induce vomiting as soon as you bring your pet in. Hydrogen peroxide solution will be used to flush the stomach, encouraging your dog to vomit.
Is potato vine toxic to dogs?
Flowering potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) is a tropical plant with fragrant blooms that last throughout the summer. This showy plant with elegant white or blue-tinged flowers adds interest to a garden space but is also toxic to pets and humans if ingested.
Does sweet potato leaves contain cyanide?
Foods containing these cyanide compounds that are generally consumed by humans include cassava, sweet potato and yam; maize and millet; bamboo and sugar cane; peas and beans, and especially lima or butter bean; kernels of almond, lemon lime, apple, pear, cherry, apricot and plum, including the prune.
Can you eat raw sweet potato leaves?
The greens are edible raw, but are a bit strong in flavor. Try sautéing them in the place of spinach, adding them to stir-fries, or chopping them finely and adding them to salads. The sweet potato dates back to prehistoric times, likely originating in the tropical climates of Peru and Ecuador.
Can humans eat sweet potato leaves?
The sweet potato vine is an unexpected bonus when you’re growing sweet potatoes — sweet potato leaves are edible! And even if you don’t plan to grow them in your garden, sweet potato greens can be grown inside as an edible houseplant.
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