Blackie Sweet Potato Vine Question

I have a Blackie sweet potato vine. It's blooming rather large, lavender flowers. Is this normal? I had no idea those vines bloomed! I also have the SPV Ace of Spades and the Marguerite. I figured someone here would know if flowers are to be expected on this Blackie, or if I got something else. It certainly looks like the one pictured in the plant files. Anyone know?

Thanks

Kaye C.

Oops! I looked again at the plant files and see that they all bloom! I had no idea as I have never seen any that bloomed. Thanks anyway. I should have looked closer at the plant files.

Kaye C.

Yes, they do bloom, but honestly it's not they're "forte" I'd say. Did you know those guys are EXTREMELY easy to propagate? Just take a piece and stick it in potting soil. Ea-sy!!!

robcorreia: I also heard that they will come back in the Spring. I read that you can take one of the "potatoes" and put it in water and when it sprouts, pick each sprout off separately and make a new plant. I have one that is pushing a "potato" up out of the pot and all I will have to do is take that new potato and put it in water. They keep making the tubers over and over. That's good - maybe I won't have to buy any next year, because I plan to root some. They make beautiful plants to hang off of the balcony and trail over the edge. I wish I had been able to find the other colors - tricolor, Blackie and Ace of Spades earlier this year, but I couldn't find them anywhere until now. Thanks for the input.

Kaye C.

Kaye I was not that fond of the tricolor. Mine reverted to solid sweet potato green. My others, blackie and marg. both stayed vibrant colors.

lavender4ever: I noticed my Blackie was starting to put out green leaves now. I read somewhere on one of the davesgarden forums that it is not uncommon for them to revert to their original (green, I guess) color. I wonder how they propagate them to stay the tri-color, etc. I've taken a cutting from the tricolor and put it in some water and I'm going to see what color it comes out. My Ace of Spades is also putting out some green leaves. Looks like these vines don't always stay true to their original colors.

Thanks for your input.

Kaye C.

Well my blackie new foliage is green at first then turns black pretty quickly. But the tri completely went green, it wasn't very pretty at all.

Louise: Ah! I'll wait and see then. I also have noticed that one of my greens has pushed large "potatoes" up to the top of the soil! They are huge (about the size of a baking potato). When I get a chance, I'm going to take one out and put it in water and see what happens when it sprouts. It's the green one, so it's pretty common down here. I'm glad to hear the Blackie will revert to black after it puts out its leaves. Thanks.

Kaye

The new leaves do come out green, then they tun purple.