Last updated on June 20th, 2026 at 11:49 am
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)
Sweet Potato Vine is a fast-growing ornamental plant that is commonly used as a ground cover, bedding plant, or container accent throughout the Southwest. Its colorful foliage and vigorous growth habit allow it to quickly fill in empty spaces, creating a lush carpet of foliage in a relatively short period of time.
These plants spread rapidly when provided with adequate sunlight, water, and warm temperatures. In favorable conditions, the trailing stems can extend several feet during a single growing season, making them an excellent choice for covering bare soil, spilling over retaining walls, or cascading from hanging baskets and containers.
Sweet Potato Vines perform best in full sun to partial sun, where they develop their richest leaf color and most vigorous growth. While they can tolerate some shade, they generally thrive when they receive at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Too much shade may result in slower growth and less vibrant foliage.
Available in shades of lime green, deep purple, bronze, and chartreuse, Sweet Potato Vines can add striking contrast to flower beds and container gardens. They are relatively easy to grow and require minimal maintenance once established. Regular watering during hot summer weather will help keep the plants looking their best.
Whether used as a colorful ground cover or as a trailing accent in pots and planters, Sweet Potato Vine is an attractive, versatile plant that can bring season-long color and texture to Southwest landscapes.
The spectacular foliage is what they are best known for; they are great for large containers with taller plants in the background or in the middle of the pot. Not quite drought-tolerant, but consistent watering throughout the summer months will give you lots of growth from late spring until late fall. Water at least three times per week; four times is better.
Sweet Potato Vine in a large outdoor pot
This lime-green potato vine hides the entire pot. Consider planting them in smaller pots for outdoor/indoor decoration. You will have to trim them off often. BTW … don’t throw away the trimmed-off leaves; you can cut the stem at an angle and place it in a water bottle. When the bottom of the stem starts to grow small hairy fibers, it’s time to plant them in soil; you now have a new potato vine plant
Purple Potato Vine in a small pot
There are several leaf colors of this plant. The most common is the lime-green one but there is also bronze (pictured below), copper, and a black one.
What to do during winter?
The sweet potato vine does not like cold temperatures once it gets below 32° degrees it will die back. but if it is in a container, you can cut it back and place it indoors. Water once or twice per week and fertilize about once per month indoors. When the last winter freeze passes it is time to take outdoors.
It is grown for ornamental reasons, and it will produce a small to medium-sized potato. Are these potatoes edible? Yes, they are but it is best to plant better types of potatoes for edible purposes. Learn more over at; Mynortherngarden.
Problems with Potato Vine
Fungus and mold will kill this plant. Check underneath the plant’s large leaves for mold or white fungus. You can cut out the fungus or mold place it in a plastic bag and throw it in the trash bin. Then spray with a good fungus control fungicide. These plants grow extremely fast growing and trimming them way back is a good solution as they will grow back in no time at all. Neem oil is a good fungicide to use and is an organic substitute.
If you see numerous holes in the leaves of the plant, there is a good chance snails or slugs are present especially if it is placed in the shade and or wet conditions during the summer months.
It is rare but aphids and mealybugs will attack the sweet potato vine, spray with a good insecticide or go organic and use Neem oil or insecticidal soaps to kill these pests.
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Paul Guzman is a lifelong Southwest gardener and gardening writer with decades of experience helping homeowners grow beautiful landscapes in the desert Southwest. He writes for Guzman’s Garden Centers in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with contributing expertise from Gary Guzman, owner of Guzman’s Garden Centers. If you have any questions or enjoyed this post, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
