Re: [gardeners] Ornamental Sweet Potato
Martha Brown (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 27 Oct 1999 08:53:16 -0500
>.
>You're right, Linda -- hee hee -- you have convinced me to plant
>some of the ornamental sweet potatoes next summer in the ground...
>Bet it would make a handsome total ground cover, in the right place.
>Yes, its proper name is ipomoea batatas 'Blacky'. Not being
>expensive, I wish more people would look for it to add interest and
>drapability to hanging pots. The leaves are the color of oxalis, a
>kind of oxblood -- very handsome!
>
>Penny, NY zone 6
>
There is also a bright limeish green one and a tricolor one. The green has
a bit bigger leaves than Blackie and seems to grow bigger. The tricolor is
green, white and soft pink in about equal amounts. It doesn't seem to be
quite as aggressive as Blackie with smaller leaves. I really like Blackie
and Tricolor when they are allowed to weave through the border. If they get
too aggressive I just cut them back. The lime one is called Marguerite or
something like that. It is also nice as a ground cover but needs cut back
to keep it from over running everything close to it. And the potatoes are a
bonus. You can root cuttings easily so it can be overwintered in a pot in
bright light.
Martha
M Brown
NW Oklahoma, USA
USDA Zone 6b, Sunset Zone 35