By Carolbrennan
United States 
I found a purple leafed plant to put into a pot on my Patio table last summer...it is a beautiful plant and when I looked it up it seems to be a sweet potato plant. It won't return, but my questions are...Was it an ornamental? Would a sweet potato from the grocery store have those same leaves? Would it be Sweet potato or Yam? Which is it that gives the purple/black leaves? How do you grow a plant from the sweet potato? This would be for a small container...such as a patio basket. Thank you, Carol
17 Feb, 2011
Answers
Karen - sweet potato and butternut squash mash is lovely. Just add a little garlic and chopped coriander.
17 Feb, 2011
Oh, that's funny because I make sweet potato and butternut squash soup! It's fab! OH doesn't like it :(
17 Feb, 2011
Why are people so fickle!
Had my brother round on his birthday - I did creamed leeks with stilton as part of the meal. Turned out that he hates blue cheese!!
17 Feb, 2011
See, you can't even trust your own family!! :))) lol x
17 Feb, 2011
Sweet potatoes from the store make pretty plants, but rarely that dark purple. The purple one can produce "edible" tubers if the summer is long enough, and the first frost late enough, but they are usually small and stringy.
19 Feb, 2011
Hi Carol, I found this today and thought of you! Now I know you don't have Mr Fothergills where you are, but at least you will get the name and that might help you find it over there! http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/seeds-plants-gardening/81580/ipomoea-sweet-caroline-bronze-flower-plants
23 Feb, 2011
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I think it must have been an ornamental Carol. Usually, sweet potatoes grown for their tubers have green leaves. They are very invasive and easy to grow if you have lots of sun, warmth and sandy soil. The name 'yam' is a bit confusing as it applies to several plants that are totally different botanically, so if you planted a yam you wouldn't be likely to get a sweet potato. I hope you manage to find the purple one again! There are lots of articles on line to help you with growing them as veg. Good luck..too cold here and my husband hates them!
17 Feb, 2011