Are Your Sweet Potatoes Blooming?

[so lucky]

I don't think I have even seen edible sweet potatoes bloom but I did this morning when I made my garden "JB Patrol" walk through. Pretty purple trumpet shapes, not quite fully open at 6:45am. I'm still not able to post photos, but the blooms can be found by googling. I wonder if the odd weather this year has any thing to do with their blooming? The flowers resemble morning glories when fully open. Googling says they are not closely related.
I'm not that experienced at growing sweets, so it may be a common thing.

 

[digitS']

So So Lucky, you can grow sweet potatoes? And, presumably without your family laughing at the results? Why is this new-to-you? If my garden could grow nice sweet potatoes, I'd be pleased beyond reason ...

There are blooming sweet potato vines in the garden centers being sold as ornamentals. 'bout all I know.

Weather-related anomalies in the garden? My Irish potatoes are still alive! I've dug 4 plants just to get them outta the way! The whole bed should be filled with yellow leaves and drooping vines and instead, these "earlies" went through record heat and drought conditions and are green and growing!

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

I guess you now have Irish potatoes on your forever list of garden produce? My early spud plants are looking past their prime. Should be dying back before too long.

 

[Nyboy]

Like Steve said I have ornamental sweet potato vines in window box. They flower just the way you described , any chance that is what you planted?

 

[Ridgerunner]

My regular Beauregard and other edible sweet potatoes bloom every year. It's a trumpet shaped light violet type of bloom. Mine are not blooming yet but I got them out a bit late this year.

 

[so lucky]

So So Lucky, you can grow sweet potatoes? And, presumably without your family laughing at the results? Why is this new-to-you? If my garden could grow nice sweet potatoes, I'd be pleased beyond reason ...

There are blooming sweet potato vines in the garden centers being sold as ornamentals. 'bout all I know.

Weather-related anomalies in the garden? My Irish potatoes are still alive! I've dug 4 plants just to get them outta the way! The whole bed should be filled with yellow leaves and drooping vines and instead, these "earlies" went through record heat and drought conditions and are green and growing!

Steve

Oh, Steve, you must have re-read my post about the first sweet potato I "grew"! Last year my crop was pretty good---not a lot of large ones, but I still have a lot of fingerlings left from last year. Nyboy, it was from last year's potatoes that I grew my starts from this year. Good to know that Ridgerunner's bloom every year. Maybe it's not an anomaly.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I did a quick google. It seems the further south you are the more likely they are to bloom.

 

[so lucky]

Ah, well, with global warming and all, maybe I am farther south this year than last year. Sure feels like it!

 

[thistlebloom]

I remember somebody on TEG grew the ornamental SP vines and harvested the tubers to eat. Maybe it was Vfem? I recall that they were large and the poster said they tasted good. Who knew?