So we mainly eat their leaves for vegetable and thus sweet potatoes per se are not very productive. Yes, ornamental sweet potatoes are edible! Like edible sweet potatoes, the ornamental sweet potatoes vines form tubers underground. Continue to collect these potatoes as you dig downward. Harvest leaves with a sharp knife. Types of Ornamental Sweet Potato Vines The two most popular leaf colors of the ornamental sweet potato vine are chartreuse, like in Margarita and Bright Ideas Lime, and the deep purple to black leaves of Blackie and Bright Ideas Black. Nov 7, 2020 - The edible sweet potato vine provides winter greens when grown indoors during cold weather. Most cultivars feature foliage that is colorful, usually shaped or both. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style. The foliage is much more colorful than that of edible sweet potatoes. Relatives of the familiar garden morning glory, sweet potatoes have the Latin name Ipomea batatas.In their native habitat, the plants will produce flowers. Of all houseplants to grow from kitchen scraps, sweet potato vines are probably the fastest growing and the most fun. These popular container garden plants form thick, rootlike tubers similar to edible sweet potatoes (but not quite as tasty) and have edible leaves, too. Even better, the leaves are edible and tasty. This is a large, very diverse family which includes both poisonous plants as well as food plants such as chilli peppers, aubergines, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), named for its edible cousin, is an ornamental warm-season annual grown for its attractive leaves and vining habit. Both edible and ornamental varieties of sweet potato grow quite well in large pots. Sweet potato vines grown in water produce an abundance of edible bright green leaves that spread quickly. These vines aren’t actually potatoes! Although most gardeners are familiar with annual sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) for their edible, smoky-sweet orange tubers, the ornamental sweet potato vine puts its energy into fountains of deeply lobed or heart-shaped, spring-to-fall leaves. — Hobby growers have a new edible option for their ornamental gardens by way of a Louisiana favorite: the sweet potato. The plant also comes in bush and semi-bush forms, as well as ornamental varieties, many with colorful leaves. As for skin color and flesh color--these factors are quite variable. Sweet potato vines produce their potatoes underground, rather than on the vines that grow above ground. It is quite vigorous as a ground cover. The potato vine is a member of the nightshade family. That means the tubers it forms are actually edible; popular varieties like 'Marguerite' have small, round tubers, while varieties like 'Blackie' have longer, narrower tubers. They're full of vitamins and antioxidants, plus they're a good source of fiber. I came across an old thread from iVillage Garden Web's Far North Gardening Forum, where people were saying they were edible, but there were differing views on the taste, and whether a person would want to eat them. Sweet potato vine is high in fiber and a good source of Vitamin E Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, and Folate. Yes. Even the Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a long-distance cousin of the sweet potato and the wild potato vine. Both types grow best in sunny conditions, but if you want to grow the garden varieties that produce edible tubers, it will take quite a long growing season. Some of the older varieties may even grace your garden with a few sporadic lavender blooms that look like a slightly more tubular morning glory, and for good reason: Sweet potato vine is a close cousin to this common annual vine. To save them year to year, you can dig up the tubers making sure not to slice into them. It does best in full sun and warm weather (temperatures should remain above 55ºF before planting outside). You may know it as Marguerite, Sweet Caroline, Blackie or one of the other popular cultivars of this plant. Your kitty deserves a name as special as she is. How to Grow Sweet Potato Vines as a Perennial, Delicata Squash-The Sweet Potato Tasting Squash. Deep brunettes, sandy blondes, and bold reds are in this year. This afternoon, I Googled them to see if they are edible. That edible species, Dioscorea alata, should not be confused with the inedible species of air potato vine that grows wild across Louisiana’s native bottomland hardwoods and wetlands and is easily identifiable by the big, heart-shaped leaves that sit opposite one another along the vine. The ornamental sweet potato is a bold tropical plant that grows as a perennial in Florida. Credit: Boiling the leaves of the sweet potato vine in a small amount of water removes any hardness or bitterness. See how you can personalize your home's entrance with holiday front door decorations, including evergreen wreaths, garlands, pinecones, and pops of plaid. Some gardeners try saving the tuberous roots overwinter much like dahlias. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. While you may want to pass on eating the tubers of ornamental sweet potatoes, you could give their edible leaves a try. Sweet potato – Ipomea batatas – is a tropical perennial vine, probably native to India. Vitamin B6 is another valuable nutrient found in sweet potato leaves. This is 'Batatas' not 'Bulbifera'. With so many types of house styles, narrowing the list down to your favorite can be overwhelming. This is the first time that I have grown a sweet potato vine so I appreciate the complete care instruction label that is attached to each plant. this website. Staying atop of your wellbeing is a must, especially during uncertain, stressful times. Topping out to 9' to 12' in our experience. They store them in a cool dark location. Both types grow best in sunny conditions, but if you want to grow the garden varieties that produce edible tubers, it will take quite a long growing season. Again, we recommend leaving those alone to grow underground, and perhaps to divide into slips for rooting and planting out when you want to start new vines. Sweet potatoes are tropical, perennial vines that may have originated in India, although until recently, scientists thought the plant was a South American native. The plants produce edible tubers as well as leaves. Ornamental: Grown for the foliage, sweetpotato vine is frequently used in mixed containers for its vibrant colors. Their beautiful pink and white flowers are great for… This winter front door display is layered with holiday cheer. The sweet potato was developed in cultivation, probably from the central American species Ipomoea trifida (HBK.)D.Don[264]. Purple vine plants are common, as are green, red, bronze, and even multicolored. That said, ornamental sweet potato tubers are planted for their lovely chartreuse, purple or variegated trailing foliage that serves as the perfect counterpoint to offset annual blooms. Many people toss these plants out at the end of summer and replace them each spring (at a cost of $3-$5 per pot), but there is an easy method to overwinter them, even in harsh climates. In addition to harvesting leaves from the sweet potatoes growing in your garden you can grow them in containers. Whether you want to eat them or not, it's always worth keeping the tubers to grow new plants for next year. Q: Are the tubers from the ornamental sweet potato vine edible? A slip is a rooted sprout from a mature sweet potato. See which names were most popular this year! Nov 7, 2020 - The edible sweet potato vine provides winter greens when grown indoors during cold weather. The purple tuberous roots are edible but gardeners who have tried them, say they’re not tasty. I grow one that has a red-brown skin and a dark purple flesh. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Yes, you can store the tubers for next spring’s planting. is generally not one that comes to mind, but it’s one of the fastest growing pond plants. They are edible raw or cooked. Simply break off a branch with several leaf nodes. In fact, the leaves create so much shade that weeds often have trouble growing near sweet potatoes! Here’s a video I did on the edible air potato you might also find helpful: When you find an edible air potato growing in the wild, chase the vine down to the ground and start digging for free food – you’ll please your local chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and your tastebuds at the same time. A vine cutting placed in water will form roots and grow. For starters, the leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants and contain high levels of vitamin A and C, as well as riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid and niacin. All Rights Reserved. Sweet potato vine leaves also provide impressive amounts of fiber, along with calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium … In a container, the vines will quickly flow over the edges. Sorry, I can't compare it in another vegetable. Lotus flowers are one of the most popular water garden plants. Can you eat sweet potato leaves? However, you can use the tubers you find in your container garden to grow new plants. This beautiful vine has grown quickly in popularity for its fast growing habit and lush foliage. Yes, you can store the tubers for next spring’s planting. Often grown in container gardens for its trailing stems of purple, chartreuse, or variegated foliage, ornamental sweet potato vine is actually related to the sweet potatoes you'd grow in your vegetable garden. The plant is a herbaceous perennial vine, bearing alternate heart-shaped or palmately lobed leaves and medium-sized sympetalous flowers. Follow these steps to planting and growing your own sweet potato vine indoors. Ornamental sweet potatoes are the same species as the edible kind but they have been selected for their interesting foliage, not their tasty roots.You’ll need lots of brown sugar and butter to make them palatable. It grows best in USDA Zones 8 through 11. You can store them as follows: While the stems are edible, they are often tough. For mid-winter fresh greens, sweet potato leaves can't be beat. The vines grow to 6” high and have a recommended spacing of 18” apart. Sweet potato vine is edible in my country. Sweet potatoes do well in both sandy and loamy soils with a pH of 5.2-6.7. Better Homes & Gardens may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on Ornamental Sweet Potato – Edible or Not. Bring your new plant indoors before the slightest hint of frost. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), named for its edible cousin, is an ornamental warm-season annual grown for its attractive leaves and vining habit. I am looking for one that I ate a few years ago that had a purple and white "swirled" flesh. All three species fall under the same order: Solanales. You can also chop them and stir fry with oil, garlic, salt and pepper or add to soups and stews. To use them raw, roll the leaf and slice very thin perpendicular to the roll. This is 'Batatas' not 'Bulbifera'. Store on the vine and harvest as necessary. However, the leaves are a good source of ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C. Young leaves contain the highest amounts. Washed and wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag with ventilation holes. Think of sweet potato leaves as you would any leafy green. CHASE, La. Plant a sweet potato in water, and almost before your eyes it transforms into a sprawling vine with lime green or purple-tinged leaves. I learned from a colleague that people in some Asian countries such as Japan and Taiwan love to eat cooked sweet potato leaves and vine, in addition to the sweet potatoes. They look absolutely gorgeous spilling over a tall container. This is a weak climber and may need to be trained onto a support. Topping out to 9' to 12' in our experience. As for the foliage, it’s lovely to admire in the garden. The vines grow over bushes and up trees, reaching heights of seventy feet. That means the tubers it forms are actually edible; popular varieties like 'Marguerite' have small, round tubers, while varieties like 'Blackie' have longer, narrower tubers. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or need a quick refresher? Yes, ornamental sweet potatoes are edible! All varieties of the sweet potato produce edible tubers. Insert toothpicks around the circumference of the potato and let it rest on the jar rim. About Sweet Potatoes Sweet potato – Ipomea batatas – is a tropical perennial vine, probably native to India. This beautiful vine has grown quickly in popularity for its fast growing habit and lush foliage. Some varieties have been bred for colorful foliage, and are sold as ornamental plants -- however, their tubers have an off taste that makes them unpalatable as food. Sweet potato plants (Ipomoea batatas) are vines of tropical origin that thrive in hot weather. We add them in dishes-Filipino dishes but I can't recommend to substitute it in place of spinach. Wait another 1-2 weeks for them to root, then they'll be ready to plant! Brush off the excess soil and place them in peat moss, sand, or vermiculite making sure the tubers don’t touch each other. With just two weeks until turkey day, the latest information could affect your plans. Ornamental sweet potato is an attractive version of the edible sweet potato. The edible tuberous root is long and tapered, with a smooth skin whose color ranges between yellow, orange, red, brown, purple, and beige. It takes 100 to 140 days for sweet potatoes to grow harvestable tubers, depending on the variety. Sweet potato vine does well in containers, where it is a common spiller plant. It will send out roots and stems within 2 weeks. In spring, watch for sprouts. It is widely grown in tropical regions as a staple root crop and also as an industrial source of starch[200]. Store them in a cool, dry place. We reach for them after school and after dinner. If youâre a beginner baker whoâs just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking tool must-haves. Just make sure to avoid using pesticides on the plants if you want to eat them. This is a great way to supply nutritious fresh greens all winter as well as have one or more houseplants. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. Ornamental sweet potato vines may start small, but some varieties will have you swimming in lush leaves by mid summer. The varieties grown as vegetables will produce mature sweet potatoes ready to be dug up in 95 to 150 days after the slips are set out in the garden. We eat the young leaves and they're good. Keep digging downward, following the roots on the vine, until you feel the potatoes. With ornamental and edible varieties, the foliage starts to turn yellow when the tubers in the soil are ready to be harvested. Believe it or not the sweet potato vine tubers are actually edible. Choose one about 3 feet square to provide enough room for the roots. Not the roots, at least. Both edible and ornamental varieties of sweet potato grow quite well in large pots. Thanksgiving Countdown: A Stress-Free Guide to Hosting for the First Time, 23 of Our Test Kitchen's Best Cookie Recipes of All Time, Conquer Holiday Cooking with This Meat Roasting Guide, The CDC Just Updated Its Thanksgiving Safety GuidelinesâHere's What You Need To Know, 5 Simple Ways to Prepare Your Garden for Winter, 21 Essential Baking Tools Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 That Are Nice to Have), 9 Ways to Decorate Your Front Door for the Holidays, What Style Is Your House? In some places, sweet potato ‘slips’ or cuttings can be purchased by mail order, but you can grow your own. They can easily take over a small pond so you may have to cut them back regularly. Q: Are the tubers from the ornamental sweet potato vine edible? While store-bought sweet potatoes are likely to be orange-fleshed and sugary tasting, the tubers of the decorative vine are generally white and don’t taste very appealing. Why Eating Potato Vine Leaves is Good for You. And very low in calories! Our Thanksgiving planning guide is here to save your holiday! The morning glory family Convolvulaceae and the morning glory genus (Ipomoea spp.) Whether it's a tried-and-true 1940s BH&G cookie recipe or a unique twist on sugar cookies, our Test Kitchen's compiled a lot of favorite cookie recipes over the years. Sweet potato plants are typically grown for their sweet tubers, but the leaves are great too. Rinse and cook in boiling water until wilted; serve with butter, oil or dressing. The leaves can be yellow, chartreuse, burgundy, nearly black, red, light green, or … The sweet potato plant or sweet potato vine has been cultivated for around 2,000 years for its sweet tasting tubers. Fill with water to cover about three inches of the tuber and place in a sunny windowsill. These perennial (or often annual) vines are a wonderful addition to any garden. This unique plant is popular for containers and borders. Very few garden plants … To start, set one end of a sweet potato tuber in a jar of water so that half of it is submerged. For those who already own these tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflé dish. It takes 100 to 140 days for sweet potatoes to grow harvestable tubers, depending on the variety. Once the stems reach a few inches long, snip them off the tuber and place these cuttings in another jar of water. Often grown in container gardens for its trailing stems of purple, chartreuse, or variegated foliage, ornamental sweet potato vine is actually related to the sweet potatoes you'd grow in your vegetable garden. 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Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the season and edible sweet potato vine it rest on the vine, it is widely grown tropical...