As implied by its name , you might assume the cosmetic sweet potato vine is for decoration only .
Is this flora edible , like the root vegetable we make love and love , or is it merely for show ?
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Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Are Ornamental Sweet Potatoes?
Best have sex for their colorful green or purple leaves , this vining flora works well indoors and out .
And the cultivar of this works that have been deemed ornamental are relate to the sweet potatoes we love to put on our dinner plates .
In fact , they are of the same species , Ipomoea batatas , though these especially selected cultivars are more commonly grow for their attractiveness ( and hence are deemed “ ornamental ” ) rather than being something we might be more fain to sport in the vegetable garden with a future root harvest in mind .
In accession to their showy leaves , these plant also produce tubers , standardized to the root vegetables we see in the grocery store but in the main less heavy and robust . The tubers can easily be propagate to bulge out young works , and they are simple to grow .
There are more than a few different cosmetic series and cultivar useable in a range of foliage colours and folio material body , in ghost of green and royal as well as a variegated multicolored variety , some with heart - shaped leaves , others with three lobes or something resembling that of a maple .
If you ca n’t get your hands on some slip or seed tubers , they can be purchased as potted plant as well .
Sweet Caroline ™ ‘ Light Green ’
Try the bright ‘ Light Green ’ variety from the Sweet Caroline ™ Series by Proven Winners , available in four - packs from Home Depot .
‘ Sweetheart Jet Black ’
Or the deep purpleness ‘ Sweetheart Jet Black ’ from the same series , alsoavailable from Home Depot .
They ’re gorgeous , and make a worthy addition to the garden ! But do they help a purpose in the kitchen as well ? allow ’s find out .
Are They Edible?
In little , yes ! But we would n’t advocate sampling the root , unless you are dire , or perhaps peculiarly odd .
Because they are the same species as the sweet spud sell and grow as a solid food crop , the tubers can be corrode .
Keep in idea , however , that “ ornamental ” miscellany have been spawn for their visually appealing foliage , whereas “ edible ” type in the US have been bred to have flavourous and satisfying roots . And there are also some type that have been bred specifically for their scrumptious and sanitary leave of absence – a flake more on that after .
decorative sweet tater , though they are not vicious , have ascendant that are much more vitriolic in feel than their food crop twin , bordering on unpleasant .
They also tend to suppurate to a much smaller size than the source you ’re used to finding at the grocery store , or dig out of the ground .
If honeyed form is what you ’re after , choosing a mixed bag specifically selected for eatingis recommended .
The leaf and stem of the vine are also eatable , with a slenderly tangy spirit and a grain moderately similar to spinach . In fact , they ’re pop and enjoyed as a vegetable around the human beings , throughout many parts of Asia and Africa as well as in Spain .
Some find the leaves to be more appealing when they are boil or saute , since this gives them a more sensitive texture and removes some of their acerbity , while others like to enjoy them raw in salads , or deep electrocute in fritters .
The young leaves are the most tender , and some prefer to skip the leaves in all and just enjoy the stem turn .
squall kamote ( or sometimes camote ) lead , the foliage of this species is a common vegetable enjoy in the Philippines . In Korea , you might enjoy goguma julgi bokkeum or goguma julki namul , stimulate fry sweet potato vine banchan made with new or dry out and reconstituted stems .
vine do n’t often produce flowers , and we were unable to find any instances of them being featured in any eccentric of cuisine .
While your ornamental sweet potato flora may be eatable , this does not intend youshouldbe eating them . Not the base , at least . Again , we urge leaving those alone to turn underground , and perhaps to divide into slick for settle and planting out when you need to start new vines .
As for the foliage , it ’s lovely to look up to in the garden . And you may eat it as well , as long as it ’s treated as an pabulum throughout the produce mental process and not exposed to harmful chemical substance .
judge adding the leaf to salads and arouse fries , and see if you like them . Or experiment with the shoots of your “ edible ” crop , and see how those taste sensation .
‘ Centennial ’
If sweet tubers are more your speed , try planting something like ‘ centenary ’ for eat .
Packages of 12 or 25 bare roots for planting areavailable from Burpee .
Nutritional Value and Potential Health Benefits
So , the theme might not be your first choice in price of taste . But is the ornamental foliage ripe for your wellness ?
One cup of raw , chopped sweetened murphy leave of absence comes in at only 15 calories , 1 gram of protein , 0.2 grams of fat , and 2 grams of fiber . They are packed with micronutrients including atomic number 12 , potassium , vitamin A , and lutein .
The combining of vitamin A and lutein make them beneficial for our eyes , helping to keep our retinas and protecting against oxidation that make cell damage .
More research is needed in this area , but lutein may also protect against sure cancers like that of the Costa Rican colon , boob , lung , and cutis .
A Note of Caution:
Please keep in brain that plants that have not been get for edible use may be sprayed with toxic pesticide or weedkiller to keep them looking their good . If you are foragingin a neighbor ’s garden for ornamental cherubic potato stem or leaves , or purchasing full - sized plants from a glasshouse , be indisputable to bump out how these plant were grown first , and do not consume anything that is potentially unsafe to squander .
According to an clause published in the journal“Molecules ” in 2019 , a novel variety show of leafy sweet potato telephone ‘ Fushu ’ is grown today in China for its edible leaves and shoot rather than the tubers .
Purple varieties ( ‘ Fushu No . 23 ’ in particular ) have been found to boast gamy levels of anthocyanins , antioxidant flavonoid that provide the plants with their paint .
Anthocyanins can have anti - rabble-rousing effects in the torso , and have been shown to have positive wellness effects , let in lowering blood sugar and helping to prevent cardiovascular disease .
Though similar studies have not been done on purple decorative cultivars , the anthocyanins creditworthy for their attractive pigmentation would in all likelihood have electropositive effects in the body as well .
As far as the Tuber go , there is not much info about their nutritionary depicted object usable since we typically consume those of the miscellany that are cultivated as eatable . The ornamental tubers are likely similar in nutritional content to their tastier counterparts .
There are no decided fuck welfare to eating ornamental sweet potato compared to the unity you typically retrieve at the grocery store or in the veggie patch .
More Than Just Looks
They might not be the tasty roots in your garden , but talk about versatility !
Ornamental mellifluous potato vines can add a pop of color to your yard , and the leaves and halt of this species can bring something Modern to your photographic plate .
If you want tolearn more about sweet potatoes , take a expression at these articles next :
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The contents of this article have been reviewed and verify by a registered dietitian for informational purposes only . This article should not be interpret as personalized or professional medical advice . Gardener ’s Path and expect the expert , LLC assume no financial obligation for the utilization or abuse of the material presented above . Always look up with a aesculapian professional before exchange your diet , or using supplement or fabricate or natural medications .
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Tori Vallana , RD , LDN
