Leaves will be greener when planted in shade. Though sweet potato vines can produce tubers like their edible sweet potato relatives, they were bred for their attractive foliage rather than edible qualities. The tubers are not particularly flavorful, and production can be scant or non-existent. Hardy in USDA zones , sweet potato vine is perennial in warmer climates, but is most often grown as an annual. These vigorous quick-growing vines can reach 6 feet wide and up to 10 feet long in a single growing season.
Keep soil evenly moist. Make sure plants receive an inch of water per week, or more during extreme heat. Containerized plants will need to be watered more often, every days during hot spells. Small Budget, Huge Impact. Search this site:.
Create Account Upgrade Account to Professional. We're listening! Contact Us. Get Local. Log In. Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects. To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. Already Started? Dig a planting hole twice the diameter and depth of the container and place the plant at the same level it was in the container. Gently tamp down soil around the base and water well. Spacing will vary, from 6 to 12 inches for smaller varieties and up to 2 feet for larger specimens.
For containers, plant in a high quality all-purpose potting soil. If using as a ground cover in a garden bed, amend soil with rich compost and make sure it is well-draining. Apply a slow-release fertilizer at the time of planting, or use a water-soluble fertilizer monthly. Keep plants moderately moist, watering once a week, or more during hot spells. When kept healthy, plants are resistant to most pests and diseases.
Possible insect problems include sweet potato looper, whitefly, aphids , thrips, slugs, flea beetles, and weevils. Overwatering and poor drainage can cause fungal problems such as fusarium wilt, root rot or tuber rot. Sweet potato vines can be overwintered indoors from tubers or cuttings. Plants can also be brought indoors and treated as houseplants. Store dormant tubers in a cool, dry place and replant in spring.
Take cuttings several weeks before your average first frost date and place in water. Once roots have formed, cuttings can either be left in water until spring, or potted up. Plants are generally considered resistant to deer grazing, though some gardeners have experienced damage. Choose mounding and semi-compact varieties for the edge of a border, or larger trailing types that will quickly fill in larger areas.
Larger sprawling varieties will quickly cover large areas and drape down a slope or wall for a dramatic effect. Its large mature size and vigorous growth makes this a good choice as border edging or in a hanging basket. Plant along a rock wall and let it sprawl along the top and over the sides, or train up a trellis. A more compact variety suitable for containers and small spaces.
Heart-shaped foliage combines well with mounding petunias and upright purple fountain grass. Deeply lobed, maple-like leaves light up the garden with bright lime-green color. Adaptable to sun or shade conditions, with colors being deeper in full sun. Loves heat and humidity; cooler temperatures make them stay more compact. Deeply-lobed and dark foliage makes for great contrast when paired with other foliage or flowering plants in containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets. Pair with other heat-loving flowering plants, such as angelonia, calibrachoa, or petunias, for a bright and cheerful combination.
Deep-cut foliage resembles maple leaves. This variety produces more flowers than others. The large mature size makes this a good choice for ground cover edging or alone in a large container.
Less vigorous and more sensitive to cooler temperatures than other varieties. Took a few days to answer, but well, late is better than never! The potato vine seems to be just what I need, my only concern is the fragrance. I am allergic to jasmine, will this be the same? Hi Larry! However, the plant itself contains toxic compounds especially the berries. This just means you should be careful not to ingest it. Particularly vulnerable persons should also wear gloves when manipulating it.
Other options for wonderful, scented, allergy-free vines are clematis like Clematis montana and sweet pea. These fragrant flowers are known to not trigger allergies. I just bought my first potato vine in August, off the clearance shelf at my local greenhouse, looking so pitiful I had to try to rescue it. It was improving outdoors, provided some new blooms and foliage.
It never has shown much foliage. About three weeks ago, just before the first hard freeze, I brought the plant indoors in the same container it was in outside, with some Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control added to the soil. I have large, south-ish-facing windows, and it gets some direct sun, but mostly indirect sunlight.
It finished blooming in the past day or two, and is now looking pretty ragged again. The thickest stems feel a bit rubbery to the touch, if that makes sense …? My pot does have a drainage hole, and the plant seemed happy in it outside. Would now be a good time for a significant pruning? Should I repot with indoor potting soil and take extra measures to further improve drainage? Any other ideas? I am determined to save this beautiful plant!
Dear Jodi, thanks for providing such detailed context! As for the rubbery stems, this vine stays flexible for the first few years of growth, it would only turn woody on older growth. If this happens, best salvage healthy parts and make cuttings, because recovering from root rot is virtually impossible. Yes, potato vine does go dormant in winter, to answer your question. Perhaps having it indoors near windows is actually too warm and dry for it.
It would be best to move it to a cool place that still gets plenty of light, because now that the blooming is over, the plant will want to focus more on roots. My potato vine is showing more yellow leaves at the bottom.
It is in a pot against a wall and has grown aggressively. It seems to absorb watering quickly. I water daily but it goes dry overnight. Should I water 2x daily? Is this the cause of the yellowing of leaves? Hi Pat! First of all, one possibility for the yellowing of leaves might simply be fall: in colder areas, your potato vine would lose its leaves.
Pot-grown plants notoriously need a lot more water. This is even more true of terra cotta pots where water evaporates along the side of the pot.
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