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.
Ornamental sweet potato vine flower.
Popular varieties like marguerite have small round tubers while varieties like blackie have longer narrower tubers.
The ornamental sweet potato plant ipomoea butatas is somewhat different from its southern grown vegetable sibling.
Ipomoea batatas sweet caroline this variety is not just one coloration of plant but includes five separate color options yellowish green red purple bronze and light green varieties are available.
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.
The foliage lends a tropical feel to the garden and comes in a range of colors and varying forms.
Although the plant works well as a ground cover it is especially effective.
Ornamental sweet potato vine ipomoea batatas is valued for its colorful foliage and rapid easy care growth habits.
Sweet potato vine ipomoea batatas named for its edible cousin is an ornamental warm season annual grown for its attractive leaves and vining habit.
That means the tubers it forms are actually edible.