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Summary
Main Bloom Time: Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Spreading or horizontal.
Physical Characteristics
Ipomoea batatas is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 3 m (9ft 10in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Habitats
Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves Root Shoots
Edible Uses:
Root - cooked[200]. Sweet and fleshy, it is a delicious staple food and is also very nutritious providing a rich source of vitamins and minerals[200, K]. There are cultivars with soft, moist flesh and also forms with a more dry flesh[200]. There are also less sweet cultivars, bred for industrial production of starch[200]. In order for the roots to store through the winter, they need to be cured in the sunshine at temperatures around 25°c fr about a week before being stored at around 14°c[264]. Young shoot tips[264].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
None known
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Biomass Fuel
Landscape Uses: Alpine garden, Arbor, Container, Groundcover, Specimen. The root is a source of starch[200]. Sweet potato tubers are being examined as a valuable raw material for producing alcohol bio-fuel[418].
Special Uses
Food Forest Ground Cover
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
An easily grown plant. Sweet potato is a plant of the tropics, but can also be grown in the subtropics and, if there is a sufficient growing season of 110 - 170 days, as an annual crop in warmer parts of the temperate zone. It is grown in the tropics at elevations up to 2,800 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 38°c[418
]. When dormant, the roots can survive temperatures down to about 1°c, but young growth can be killed by temperatures of 5°c[418
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 750 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 350 - 5,000mm[418
].
An easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained, sandy loam soil and requires a sunny position[200
, 264
]. Ample potash in the soil is essential for a good crop[264
]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4 - 8.7[418
]. A low humidity as the plants reach maturity is beneficial[200
].
Plants grow very vigorously in the tropics. They have escaped from cultivation in some areas and become invasive[296
, 305
].
Unlike many root crops, the sweet potato begins to store starch at an early age, making early harvests possible[298
]. It is one of the most efficient plants to capture the energy of the sun as calories[298
].
The plant can mature a crop within 2 months in tropical areas, though at least three months are required in sub-tropical regions[264
].
Optimum yields vary from 17.5 - 27.5 tonnes per hectare depending on the cultivar and growing conditions, while average yields are 5 tonnes per hectare in Africa, 10 tonnes in South America and 16 tonnes in Asia. The world highest production yield at 80 tonnes has been obtained in Israel[418
].
A short-day plant, it requires less than 11 hours of sunlight per day to initiate flowering[200
]. However, day length variation appears to have little effect upon tuber production[200
]. Special Features:
Attractive foliage, Edible.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:
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Propagation
Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water, or scarify the seed, and sow in individual pots in a greenhouse in early spring. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at 22°c. Plants are extremely resentful of root disturbance, even when they are quite small, and should be potted up almost as soon as they germinate. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Seedlings can be very variable and are likely to be less productive than vegetatively produced plants[200]. Stem cuttings obtained from terminal shoots[200]. Remove the lower leaves and insert the cuttings to half their depth in individual pots.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Sweet Potato, Agietu, Anago-te, Anamo, Atomo anago, Bambaira, Bath-ala, Blofo atomo, Boniato, Buteta, Camote, Chakarakilangu, Chelagada, Chokeh, Damloong chhvie, Dankali, Dinkale, Dukuma, Ekomeko, E-muna, Faan shu, Fanshu, Genasu, Hila, Hongshu, Huwi boled, Huwi matang, Imbambaila, Ji-oyibo, Kalembula wa lungu, Kamote, Kanangi, Kanda, Kaukau, Kawai-ni-vulagi, Keladi, Keledek, Ketela, Khoai lang, Klawang, Kudaku, Kukunduku, Kumala, Kumara, Lal alu, Luzu vaka, Man-thet, Mitha alu, N jowo, Ntommo, Odunkum, Petete, Phan-karo, Pilau katelo, Pot-ecok, Ranga alu, Ratalu, Sakaria, Sakarkenda, Sakarkhand, Sakkareivelleikilangu, Satsuma inno, Setilo, Shakar-kandi, Shakarkand, apichu, batat, batata, batata-da-terra, batata-doce, batate, boniato, bíme mábi, goguma, kkumara, kuumara, papa dulce, patate douce, sweet-potato, süßkartoffel, tuktuka, wild potato vine, wild potato wit, yam, zoete aardappel.
Found In
Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available
Africa, Andes, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Congo R, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guiana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Polynesia, Samoa, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
(L.)Poir.
Botanical References
200
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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