Sweetpotato
Ipomoea batatas
- Native to:
- Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá, Venezuela
Earth100
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Convolvulaceae
- Genus:
- Ipomoea
- Species:
- Ipomoea batatas
- USDA Symbol:
- IPBA2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Vine
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, purple, white
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
- Ground Cover:
- Yes
Host Plant for Caterpillars
American plum borer (Euzophera semifuneralis), Armyworm moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta), Athetis miranda, banana moth (Opogona sacchari), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), beet webworm moth (Spoladea recurvalis), Celery leaftier (Udea rubigalis), clover cutworm (Agrotis gladiaria), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Helcystogramma melissia, Herpetogramma ipomoealis, Herpetogramma sp., Megastes sp., Mexican leafroller (Amorbia emigratella), Pink-spotted hawk moth (Agrius cingulata), Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), Soybean Looper (Pseudoplusia includens), Sweet potato moth (Helcystogramma convolvuli), Sweetpotato Armyworm (Spodoptera dolichos), Sweetpotato Leafroller Moth (Lygropia tripunctata), T-moth (Emmelina monodactyla), underworld dart (Agrotis subterranea), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata), Yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Moths:sweet potato leaf miner (Bedellia somnulentella)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers fertile soils with good organic content
Propagation & Germination
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in warm soil without pretreatment.
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months. Requires scarification. | Requires soaking 24-48 hrs; discard floaters.