About
A tender herbaceous perennial which is treated as an annual in the UK climate. It scrambles or climbs with support, to reach 1.5m. Its attractive green leaves are edible and at the end of the growing season, the underground tuber can also be eaten. This variety has a purple skin and pale flesh.
About the genus
Ipomoea can be annuals or perennials, often twining, or evergreen shrubs, with simple, lobed or dissected leaves and tubular or funnel-shaped flowers which may be solitary or borne in racemes or panicles
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH2
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial, Annual Biennial
HabitClimbing, Trailing
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1 year
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Sub-tropical
Care notes
CultivationGrow in deep fertile soil in a frost free spot with full light. Can be grown outdoors once all danger of frost is past, but needs a long growing period to produce a root crop. Can be grown in a large container. Train up a cane to save space, along the ground as ground cover, or allow to trail downwards from a container. Eating the leaves as a vegetable will limit its size, but at the expense of the root harvest. For more advice see sweet potato cultivation
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by dividing a tuber into 'slips', which are slices of tuber that include a bud. For more advice see sweet potato cultivation
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to glasshoouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free