Mark A. Miller
Family
Convolvulaceae
Botanical Name
IPOMOEA batatas( SWEET CAROLINE™ SERIES)
Plant Common Name
Sweet Caroline™ Sweet Potato Vine, Sweet Potato Vine
General Description
The colorful trailing but compact sweetpotato vines in the Sweet Caroline™ Series are popular foliage plants for containers, annual borders and hanging baskets. They withstand partial sun and look great alongside most other flowering ornamentals.
These tender perennials are borne from edible fleshy tuberous roots. They are vigorous, herbaceous, vines that originate from Central and northern South America. Members of this series generally have heart-shaped or three-lobed leaves that may be pale green, yellow or variegated. Occasionally plants produce funnel-shaped flowers of lavender-white to dusty purple. Unlike other Ipomoea batatas flowering is not day-length dependent for plants in the Sweet Caroline Series.
Two other perks are that these plants thrive in heat and are as easy as pie to grow. They thrive in fertile, well-drained soil and full to partial sun. In warmer zones they will survive winters and grow as evergreen perennial, but in temperate zones they are treated as annuals.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
10 - 13
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
4'-6' / 1.2m - 1.8m
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Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
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Native To
Central America, South America
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Pollution
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Growth Rate
Very Fast
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Habit
Vining/Climbing
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Purple, Lavender
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Foliage Color (Spring)
White, Yellow, Green, Light Green, Chartreuse
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Foliage Color (Spring) Modifier
Variegated
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Foliage Color (Summer)
White, Yellow, Green, Light Green, Chartreuse
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Foliage Color (Summer) Modifier
Variegated
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Foliage Color (Fall)
White, Yellow, Green, Light Green, Chartreuse
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Foliage Color (Fall) Modifier
Variegated
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Foliage Color (Winter)
White, Yellow, Green, Light Green, Chartreuse
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Foliage Color (Winter) Modifier
Variegated
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Coarse
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Tropical, Vine
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Butterflies
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Self-Sowing
No
