Sweet Potato.

Auf einen Blick

Pflegestufe

Einfach

Pflanzenart

Perennial vegetable

Licht

Full sun

Licht im Innenraum

Direkte Sonne

Gießen

Alle 2 bis 4 Tage

Endgröße

6 to 10 feet long

Wachstum

Schnell

Winterhärte

USDA 9 bis 11

Blütezeit

Mid to late summer

Pflege

Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy to encourage healthy tuber development. Watch for yellowing leaves which often signal overwatering or poor drainage. Provide plenty of space for the vines to sprawl or climb.

Gießen

Water deeply whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.

Düngen

Use a balanced fertilizer once a month during the active growing season.

Schneiden

Trim back long vines if they start to overtake your garden space.

Umtopfen

Repot only if you are growing them in containers and the roots become crowded.

Boden

Well draining sandy loam

Boden-pH

5.5 to 6.5

Temperatur

15 bis 35°C

Luftfeuchtigkeit

40 bis 70%

Trockenheitstoleranz

Mittel

Lebensdauer

Tender perennial, often grown as an annual.

Wildverbiss-Resistenz

Gering

Sicherheit

Menschen

The plant is generally considered non toxic, but ingestion of large amounts of raw foliage is not recommended.

Kinder

The tubers are firm and could pose a choking hazard if eaten raw by small children.

Kontaktallergene

Some individuals may experience mild skin irritation from the milky sap.

Allergene in der Luft

There are no notable airborne allergy risks associated with this plant.

Essbarkeit

Only specific cultivars are bred for edible tubers, while ornamental varieties may not taste good or could be treated with chemicals.

So erkennst du die Pflanze

• Heart shaped or lobed green leaves
• Vining stems that spread quickly
• Edible starchy tubers underground
• Trumpet shaped flowers in some varieties

Höhe

0,15 bis 0,3m

Breite

0,6 bis 2m

Blätter

green, purple, bronze, variegated, deciduous

Blüten

pink, white, lavender, 4 bis 6cm

Früchte

brown, tan, red, purple, Autumn

Häufige Probleme

• Sweet potato weevil — Small beetles that tunnel into the tubers and stems.
• Fungal leaf spot — Dark spots appearing on leaves often due to high humidity.

Standort und Pflege

Vermehrung

cuttings, division

Pflanzzeit

Spring

Überwinterung

In cold climates, lift the tubers in autumn after the foliage dies back. Store them in a box with peat moss in a cool, frost free location until spring.

Im Kübel

They grow exceptionally well in containers, requiring at least a 30 centimeter wide pot for healthy root development.

Plant them in mounds to ensure good drainage for the developing tubers.

Gute Pflanzpartner

• Mais — The tall stalks provide a structure for the vines to climb if desired.
• Tagetes — They help deter soil pests that might bother the roots.

Ähnliche Arten

• Common morning glory — A close relative grown primarily for its showy flowers.

Botanisches

Familie

Convolvulaceae

Gattung

Ipomoea

Ordnung

Solanales

Klasse

Magnoliopsida

Ursprüngliche Heimat

Tropical regions of the Americas.

Artenschutz

This plant is widely cultivated and is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in warm, sunny environments and spreads rapidly across the ground to outcompete weeds.

Nutzen für Wildtiere

nectar source

Bestäuber

Bienen, Schmetterlinge, Nachtfalter

Verwendung

ground cover, container plant, edible tuber, hanging basket

Taxonomie abgeglichen mit GBIF.

Häufige Fragen

Can I eat the tubers of ornamental sweet potato vines?

While technically edible, they are often bred for leaf color rather than flavor and may be bitter.

How do I overwinter them?

Dig up the tubers before the first frost, clean them, and store them in a cool, dark place.

Woher der Name kommt

The genus name Ipomoea comes from the Greek words for worm and likeness, referring to the twining habit of the stems.

Gut zu wissen

• Sweet potatoes are not related to true yams.
• The leaves are edible and often used in stir fries.
• They grow very quickly in warm weather.
• They were domesticated in Central and South America thousands of years ago.