Sweet Potato Vine or things are beginning to get complicated

Yesterday I discovered there is more than one "marguerite". One is heart shaped

the other one is trilobed: tag just says ipomea Marguerite (clumping)

both are chartreuse-colored. the 2nd one looks darker only because of lighting.

Howdy Vossner,
My guess is that the second plant is a different but similar variety. But if they are attached, the same plant, then it is probably environmental. Especially lobed plants will change shape in different light, etc.

howdy to you, jamesCO. they are different plants. I just bought the trilobed one, it's in a 4" pot. When I posted this I was thinking that when I first became interested in sweet potato vine, I only knew of the trilobed purple (Blackie). since then, I have collected:
ace of spade - heart shaped purple
marguerite - heart shaped chartreuse
marguerite - trilobed shaped chartreuse
tricolor - almost trilobed pink,green,white
bronze beauty - trilobed bronze

and I don't have it, but there is one that is solid green, so that's seven different varieties.


This message was edited Nov 15, 2005 10:15 AM

I've got the heart shaped marguerite. It spreads everywhere and can overgrow almost anything, it even climbs if it can get a grip. I've got it in the ground and in pots... it's great for a groundcover but if anything is in it's way it's all over for it lol.

Your tri-lobed is 'Sweet Caroline' Bright Green
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/floriculture/springtrials2003/Annuals/g17.htm

Mine grew beautifully this year.

Emma

There is also one called 'Ivory Jewel'. It didn't seem as aggressive as my others.

http://www.macore.com/gu/55900075.htm

Has anyone ever heard if the "potatos" from the ornamentals is edible or not?
MerryMary

luvs, you are absolutely right! I had forgotten I about that one. I don't have it. Before we know it, there will be 50 different varieties. Mine look great now, hoping they will hang on until after T/giving so I can show them off to my relatives, lol.

MerryM, I don't believe they are edible.

Emma,

You sent me some pieces of this but they got zapped when the tip of south Texas got that freak snowfall and freeze for Christmas.

One piece came back...as you can see it has grown quite a whole lot. I've cut it back numerous times as it crawls out of the flowerbed and onto my lawn. I think that's a giant snail vine (phaseolus giganteus) growing on the trellis as it has no fragrance.

Am wondering if this lime green ground cover is the same thing ya'll are talking about?

~ Cat (south tip of Texas)

yes. you have the heart shaped one, like the first pic I posted. (well, not exactly a hart shape, but close enough)

Merry Mary....I dug one up and ate it.....didn't die.

Here is a picture of one I got in Chicago circling my guard-dog's neck. I'll get the name eventually. Look at the multi-segmented leaves. 8ftbed said his wife included growing tips in some of her stir-frys. I have atleast 6 varieties and love them.
Sidney

weeds, what did it taste like?
sugarweed, are you talking about the green one? that is awsome! name please, when you find it. I miss 8ft, a lot.

Yes, the green one is another ornamental sweet potatoe vine.
I am so missing Blaine too. I will e-mail him.
Sidney

I ate the green one and would have been good but was in the ground too long. Like a sweet potato!

Weeds, thanks for the report on if it's edible or not! I always wanted to know, but felt silly asking...apparently I'm not the only one who wonders these things.
:)
Merrymary

Welcome and nice to meet you MerryMary...love your name!

I grew a plain green one this year called Lady Fingers but I'll be darned if I can remember what it looked like. Gee. Parks was selling the tri-lobed ones this year as Sweet Caroline. They had a copper/bronze one, chartreuse green and a purple/black. The dark one looked just like Blackie and the chartreuse looked like yours above Vossner.

That's what's around that dog's neck, Lady Fingers. I have all 3 of those carolinas and ace, and margurita. They are just still hanging on. Here they go dormant in jan. Most of them came back last spring.
Sidney

Mine usually survive the limited frost we get here, but the tri-color pink ones grew back plain green....blah....
MerryMary

Oh no,

MerryMary,

Hope the frost does not get the pink variegated one in my back yard! It has taken over a large territory and would not like to see it return all green in the spring. It is intermingled with "Blackie". Had a marguerite tuber but it never grew any at all. Planted them this spring so the freak weather TXPuddyPrint is talking about did not impact these, but did zap some other things. Well, that is gardening...epecially in South Texas.

Barb

Odd to hear your Marguerite one did not make it....they do in fact grow slower than the others, but usually are quite hardy. Try it again, they look great next to the blackies....I'm just ready for spring already to come back, I have so many things to get into the ground!
Mary

I have been wanting to get into the Sweet Potatoes for a while, but wasn't sure how to start them and what time of year I can start them. Can anyone tell me how to get started in 7b.

I went back outside today and our recent cold snap did not do the vines any favors. Took some cuttings and will see if anything happens there. Will try the marguerite again next year as I agree, it really is a pretty color. Barb