ORNAMENTAL SWEET POTATO VINE
Ipomoea batatas
Ipomoea batatas 'Marguerite' has an excellent lime-green to bright yellow green foliage, . 'Blackie' has deep purple to nearly black foliage with large, deep cut leaves. ‘Marguerite has less lobing in the leaves than other Sweet Potato Vines and will do better in partial sun because the lighter colored foliage tends to burn in full sun conditions.
Sweet potato vine, Ipomoea batatas, is a true sweet potato complete with tubers, but has bolder, more colorful foliage than its vegetable sibling. The unique foliage and forms make ornamental sweet potato vines popular as "spillers" in containers and "sprawlers" in border flower gardens. One sweet potato vine in a container will quickly fill in around the rim of the pot and spill over the edges. In the garden, sweet potato vine is an impressive, fast-growing annual ground cover that should be planted no closer than two feet apart. This vine also seems to thrive in summer heat, but can easily be trimmed when it outgrows its boundary or strays too far from its container.
Sweet potato vines are "chameleons" that emphasize and enhance the flowers and foliage of nearby plants. 'Blackie' and 'Marguerite' bring out the burgundy and green in coleus and contrast beautifully with both variegated plants and bright colors.
