Sweet potato plants are commonly cultivated in more than 100 countries for their edible tubers and are the fifth most popular crop in the world. Ornamental varieties are not as sizeable and sweet, however are also edible.

Animal Toxicity: Safe for dogs, cats, and horses.
ASPCA Website – Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants “Sweet Potato Vine”
Medicine Interactions:
Individuals may have a sensitivity or allergies to sweet potato, consult a healthcare professional first and proceed at own risk. People having allergies is uncommon. High in carbohydrates, could rapidly raise blood sugar. Consult a healthcare professional about type 2 diabetes.

❗Never ingest essential oils, instead use organic fresh or dried herbs.
Use: Rich in carbohydrates, sugar, fiber, beta carotene (which the body converts into vitamin A), vitamins B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), vitamin C, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and potassium.
◦ Leaves: The young leaves and shoots may be cooked like spinach, high in protein and vitamins. Stems are more fibrous, and while edible, not as palatable.
◦ Roots: A common root used across the world. Raw sweet potato may interfere with nutrient absorption and could cause stomach ache, use raw sweet potatoes sparingly for a sweet crunch in salads or grate for a garnish. Sweet potatoes are easier to digest when steamed, boiled, baked, stir fried, add to casseroles, desserts, and other recipes.
Benefits: Antioxidant (protects cells), anti-inflammatory, strengthens vision and immunity, regulates blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and reduces weight.
Dosing: ½ sweet potato maximum each day provides beta carotene for the body to produce the suggested day’s value of vitamin A for adults. An entire sweet potato contains 214% suggested day’s value for vitamin A, which may cause hair loss and other health problems in excess.
Click Here for How To Harvest, Dry, and Properly Store Herbs and Seeds
Harvest: Never harvest more than 20% of a plant’s leaves or roots!
Harvest after planting within 3 to 4½ months.
◦ Leaves: Harvest while plants are young.
◦ Roots: Dig the roots up 3 o 4½ months after planting and gently wipe away dirt. Roots are barely sweet and may be used immediately for culinary use. Sweet potatoes require 5 to 7 days to cure and develop the sugars that make them taste sweet, not. Keep curing potatoes out of direct sunlight, in a well ventilated area with 85% to 90% humidity to prevent them from drying out with minimal temperatures of 80°F to 85°F. Create a humid environment by placing sweet potatoes in a single layer in a closed cardboard box to retain humidity in a warm, humid location. Plastic bags that have been perforated (holes punched in them) may also be used to maintain humidity. Store cured sweet potatoes in a cool, dry location, preferably at 55°F to 60°F with a humidity level of 60%, keeps fresh for 3 weeks to 5 weeks. Prevent other potatoes from spoiling by frequently checking stored sweet potatoes for signs of spoiling and remove roots that are molding or have soft spots.
◦ Seeds: Harvest the dry, light pink to dark red seed pods from Spring to Summer. Extract the seeds from the pods and follow harvesting techniques in the link above to extract and properly store the seeds.

Aroma: Flowers have no aroma, Roots have a sweet floral aroma
Flavor: Potatoes are either very sweet or mildly sweet, depending on the variety
Culinary Combinations: Sweet potato compliments herbs and spices (thyme, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, parsley, sage, cardamom, coriander, chives, ginger), quinoa, whole wheat enriched pasta, wild rice, beans (sugar snap peas, green beans, chickpeas [garbanzos], black, pinto), legumes (lentils, mung beans), tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, nuts (roasted cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, and pine nuts), vegetables (arugula, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Winter squash [pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash], Summer squash [zucchini, straightneck, and crookneck], red potato, white potato, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, lemongrass, bell pepper, carrot, beet, asparagus, brussels sprouts, radish, tomato, and cucumber), and fruits (avocado, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, apricot, mango, citrus [lemon and lime], and figs)
Click Here to explore a comprehensive list of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients with function explanations, deficiency or excess symptoms, and vegan food source rankings (high, medium, low)

Sweet potato has been a food source for over 5,000 years, likely first cultivated in Peru as early as 2500 BCE. The name Ipomoea comes from the Ancient Greek words “ís”, meaning “woodworm”, and “hómoios“, meaning “resembling”, which refers to the plant’s the growth habit of the trailing vines.

3 months to 7 months when harvested regularly for the roots. 2+ years longevity for life expectancy when permitted to grow without harvest.