Sweetpotatoes: It really is a single word

Though it will drive your spell check crazy, the correct botanical spelling of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is that of a single word rather than two. In fact, the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission has an entire marketing campaign based around the concept that sweetpotato is one word. During summertime in Eastern North Carolina, you don’t have to go far to see sweetpotato plants. North Carolina grows more sweetpotatoes than any other state, and although Pitt County doesn’t usually grow quite as many as some of its neighboring and nearby counties, there are still many an acre of these low-growing vines to be found. It’s hard not to notice that the plants are quite attractive when healthy, and it is perhaps no surprise then that certain varieties have been bred specifically to take advantage of their ornamental characteristics.

These ornamental sweetpotato varieties often have leaves that are bright and colorful: lime green, red, or purple, most commonly. Spreading much like the sweetpotatoes planted in fields, these ornamental varieties are best suited for use as groundcovers, in containers, or on slopes. Their lush growth appears almost tropical when paired with the right plants. My favorite way to use ornamental sweetpotato vine is in containers.

Above left: Sweet Caroline Sweetpotato, light green. Above right: Sweet Caroline Sweetpotato, Raven. Both photos: SFE. Lower photo: Ornamental sweet potatoes in a container with other plants. Photo: D. Mitchell, CC-BY-SA 2.0

If using ornamental sweetpotatoes in a container, adhere to the tried and true container concept of thrillers, fillers, and spillers. Each container should have all three of these ingredients. A thriller is the star of the container, an eye-catching centerpiece. The thriller is usually tall and colorful, either in flower, foliage, or both. Ornamental grasses such as purple fountain grass make excellent thrillers. Fillers are plants that complement the thriller without overwhelming it. Fillers are the role players, rather than the star of the show. Usually these plants are smaller than the thriller and attractive, of course, but in a more subtle way than the thriller. I like to use foliage plants like coleus as fillers. Finally, add a spiller, a vine-like plant that will topple over the edge of the container, hang down and perhaps even creep along the ground that the container sits on or is perched above. These plants add a new dimension to the container. Sweetpotato vine is an ideal spiller. 

However you choose to use ornamental sweetpotato vine, know that they will require lots of space and lots of sun. Some varieties will grow up to 10 feet long, though many are more compact. Some of the older varieties do produce a large underground root- a jumbo sweetpotato, essentially. As the roots swell, this can overwhelm nearby plants, even pushing soil out of a container. Newer ornamental varieties, such as the Sweet Caroline series, are better behaved.

In addition to a variety of colors, leaves can also come in a variety of shapes depending on the cultivar. The Sweetheart series, for example, is noted for its wide heart-shaped leaves, as is ‘Ace of Spades’. The Illusion series, conversely has slender leaves with lobes, giving these dense plants a softer, finer texture.  

Ornamental sweetpotatoes are relatively pest free. There are a few exceptions; a few of the varieties are susceptible to phytophtera root rot, especially in wet soils, though most are resistance. Insect pests like flea beetles, aphids, and thrips may occasionally be problematic. For the most part, however, these are easy plants to grow for the average gardener. Feel free to use the ornamental version of this important North Carolina crop to brighten up your home landscape all summer long.
 
Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.