When It comes to quick, easy to grow, goof-proof annuals, sweet potato vine (Ipomoea butatas) is one of the best. I’ll show you some creative uses for these reliable, gorgeous vines.
For more also see, How to grow plants from seeds and cuttings.
Quick and Easy-t0-Grow
Ornamental sweet potato plant/vine (lpomoea butatas)
- Herbaceous perennial (zones 9-11)
- Colors: chartreuse (lime green), copper, purple (black), tri-color (green, pink, white)
- Water – medium
- Sun or some shade
- Size varies by variety. Some grow up to 6′ long and 2′ wide.
- Winter: store the tubers in a cool location or take cuttings and overwinter the plants indoors.
Popular for Good Reasons
You’re probably most familiar with sweet potato vine as a vibrant, eye-catching chartreuse-colored vine, spilling out of flower pots or brightening up a garden bed as a ground cover.
There’s lots of gorgeous hybrids available with a variety of leaf shapes and colours.
The lime green varieties are hugely popular because they make any garden container stand out. The chartreuse colour plays beautifully against other plants, both demanding attention and highlighting contrasting plants.
I use sweet potato vines throughout the garden to add interest and give an air of lushness.
While I wouldn’t call them drought tolerant (they prefer even, moderate watering), they are very forgiving if the soil gets too moist or dry on occasion. I’ve only had them die if I’ve been away and the pots dried right out.
Come fall, it’s time to over-winter your sweet potato vine. You can store the tubers in a cool (not freezing), dark place for replanting when the soil warms again, but this cutting method is super fast and efficient.
Gardeners Share Their Sweet Potato Vine Ideas
- Sweet potato vine in an old bucket with contrasting flowers (by Proven Winners) in my garden | Empress of Dirt
- Rooting sweet potato vine cuttings in water | Empress of Dirt
- Sweet potato vine with pink flowers | Empress of Dirt
- Sweet potato vine on ladder with birdhouses | Our Fairfield Home & Garden
- Sweet potato vine on bicycle planter | Our Fairfield Home & Garden
- Sweet potato vine spilling out of a planter | On Sutton Place
- Sweet potato vine on a rusty, metal trellis | New House New Home
- Sweet potato vine (purple/black variety) in turquoise pot | Garden Matter
- Sweet potato vine in deck containers | Flower Patch Farmhouse
If you haven’t tried it, I hope you’ll give sweet potato a try. It’s definitely one of the easiest, most eye-catching plants you can choose.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
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gina says
February 11, 2016 at 9:44 amCan you use sweet potatoes from the grocery store?
Melissa J. Will says
February 11, 2016 at 9:59 amHi Gina, Yes, you can and it’s certainly fun to do and produce a sweet potato vine. But they won’t be the same as the vibrant hybrids from a garden nursery. The new hybrids are the ones that have the strong, bright colours and unusual shapes (like the chartreuse green).