This is my first year trying SPV. An impulse buy - a dark purple one to use in a container combination with a coleus and gerbera daisy (luckily red). Kind of a neat look compared to the usual geranium/petunia arrangement. I googled images for sweet potato vine and there are pictures of them covering banks, spilling over retaining walls, etc. - so they must do quite well as a ground cover. They were quite inexpensive at Wal-Mart ($1.54) and disappeared quickly, so will put them on my list for next year to try in a hanging basket, over a spot on a retaining wall, and as a ground cover.

They go crazy on the ground! Give it a shot.
I got ridiculously humungous tubers the year that I planted them in the garden.

You don't need to put them on a list for next year. They are RIDICULOUSLY easy to start new ones by just snipping off a few inches at the end of the vine and putting them in a jar of water. Roots should appear in a matter of days. Then transfer them over to a light soil and baby them a week or two and you can put them in the ground.

That's exactly how the edible sweet potatoes grow, but they are plain green and not terribly ornamental.

Sweet potatoes are fun plants to grow, they are very fast and easy, do well in full and even partial sun, are extremely heat-tolerant and moderately drought-tolerant. They can be especially effective draping over a wall or ledge. The main problem is that you have to keep after them, otherwise they will take over your bed and smother all your other plants! I saw a fabulous planting last year that combined ornamental grasses with 'Blackie' sweet potatoes--it was a great combination, with the contrast of both texture and color.

One of the sweet potatoes typically used for food is Vardeman. It's a lovely red foliaged plant and can be used ornamentally if you have access to them.

Calliope, I keep sweet potatoes (not sure if Vardaman) on hand for weeks and they don't sprout in the basket as they used to do. I'd read that some type chemical is used to prevent sprouting. Do you know how to remove it? Guess I'll try washing really well and suspending in a glass of water like we used to do in grade school and see what happens. Would love to have a red-foliaged one. josh

DEFINATELY! Put them in the ground. I did this in a very shaded area between the houses last year and they looked GREAT! I snip them as they get too big and put them in water and when they sprout a good amount of roots (about 10 days) I toss them back in the ground in a new spot.
In the fall, when the weather gets colder, before it can frost, I take cuttings to put in a fall indoor flower arrangement. They do fine in water for quite a while. I put them with mums and spent hydrangea blooms and they look fabulous.
Have fun watching them take off!
Joy

Jo, I've noticed that about sweet potatoes from the market as well, and since it's done to white potatoes, perhaps they have been treated. No, I don't know how to undo the treatment but white potatoes normally grow out of it eventually. My potato bin is proof of that. LOL.

Josh-

This is an old thread but here is something I found while searching this topic. This poster found that Vitamin C appears to neutralize the budding inhibitor sprayed on sweet potatoes (and possibly white potatoes as well). I have not tried this yet:

https://duckweedgardening.com/2013/02/24/sprouting-store-bought-sweet-potatoes-win/