Plant · GBIF taxon 2928551
sweet potato
Ipomoea batatasAlso known as Kumara, Camote, Sweetpotato
Trailing heart-shaped leaves and soft lavender, funnel-formed flowers conceal a massive underground food reservoir produced by creeping vines. Originating in tropical America, these vigorous perennials produce tuberous roots packed with starches and natural sugars to survive dry seasons. Cultivated globally across warm temperate and tropical regions, the sprawling runners form dense ground cover while underground tubers swell throughout the frost-free growing season.
AgriculturalVineTuberous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil Minerals
Predators
- Sweetpotato Weevil
- Deer
- Volles
ThreatsSweetpotato Weevils, Fungal Blights, Frost
HabitatsAgricultural Fields, Gardens, Tropical and Subtropical Lowlands
Life spanPerennial (Often Cultivated as an Annual)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderSolanales
- FamilyConvolvulaceae
- GenusIpomoea
- SpeciesIpomoea batatas
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Harvesting: Carefully lift tubers with a garden fork before the first autumn frost to prevent cold damage.
- Curing: Store freshly harvested tubers in a warm, humid spot for one week to develop sweetness and heal skin wounds.
- Vine Propagation: Root leafy stem cuttings in water or moist soil to easily multiply plants for the next season.
Look-Alike (c) Dinesh Valke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Pest (c) Roman Gaidier, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Roman Gaidier · cc-by
Close Relative (c) M. Whitson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by M. Whitson · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Greg III Espera, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Distant Relative (c) jamie-aa, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by jamie-aa · cc-by
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