Dark Leaf Sweet Potato Vine

Dark Leaf Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas) is a vigorous trailing vine grown for its deeply lobed, purple-black leaves, which are purple on the underside. It stays 20 to 40cm high but spreads about 1m, spilling from hanging pots or threading between shrubs as a dark groundcover. Lilac-mauve trumpet flowers appear too, though the foliage is the main event.

Why you'll love it

• Near-black foliage. Deeply cut, maple-like leaves in purple-black make the strongest contrast against lime, gold or silver plants and bright flowers.
• Spills and trails. The stems cascade over the edges of hanging pots, baskets and raised planters, so one plant fills a container quickly.
• Loves heat and humidity. In warm, sunny gardens it grows hard and fast, which makes it a rewarding choice for new gardeners.
• Holds its colour in sun. Sun or part sun keeps the leaves deep and dark, rather than fading toward green.

Where it works best

Hanging pots and baskets. Use a basket or pot at least 30cm wide with one plant, and let the stems trail a metre or more.

Contrast groundcover. Plant 80cm apart between shrubs, or along the front of a bed. It spreads about 1m wide, so it covers bare soil within a season in warm weather.

Mixed containers. Pair it with gold or lime foliage in a large pot, with the vine as the trailing edge.

Growing Dark Leaf Sweet Potato Vine in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun or part sun, which keeps the leaf colour deep. It loves heat and humidity, so in tropical and subtropical gardens it can be planted year round. In drier climates it stays more compact. It is frost tender: in cold climates treat it like a dahlia and lift the tubers each autumn.

Soil. Any free draining soil or potting mix will do. Rich soil only gives more leaf than you need.

Water and feed. Water regularly, especially in pots and baskets, which dry out fast in summer sun. A light feed with a slow release fertiliser at planting is enough for the season.

Pruning. Trim long stems whenever it outgrows its space, and pinch the tips for a bushier habit.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Dark Leaf Sweet Potato Vine as tube stock: a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly in warm soil. Expect a small start that picks up speed as the weather warms, filling a pot or a bare patch over a single season.

The tube is supplied by our grower, so stock comes and goes. If it shows as sold out when you visit, press the notify button on the page and we will email you the day it is back.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Groundcover plants for Australian gardens
• Plants for pots and hanging baskets
• Tropical plants
• Designing a tropical garden that looks lush year round

Common questions

Can I eat it?

No. This is the ornamental form, grown for its leaves and not for its roots, so do not eat the foliage or tubers. Keep it away from pets and children who like to chew garden plants.

Will it survive winter?

In frost free tropical and subtropical gardens it carries on through the year. Where frost arrives, the top growth is lost. Lift the tubers in autumn, store them in a pot of vermiculite as you would a dahlia, and replant when the soil warms.

How far will it spread?

About 1m wide on a plant that stands only 20 to 40cm tall, and more in humid heat if the soil is rich. Trim it back when it reaches the plants beside it.