Sweet potato vine tubers with Chinese lantern flowers
While taking apart my front porch container plantings this weekend, the question came to mind: Can you eat these cute little tubers that the ornamental sweet potato vine made?
Short answer: Yes, you can.
Longer answer: Yes, you can, but you probably don’t want to. Ornamental sweet potato vines are selected for their foliage — the lush leaves that tumble out of pots and window boxes so decoratively. The tubers are not even a consideration, and so don’t usually taste very good. If you want delicious sweet potatoes, it’s best to grow plants designated for eating.
Jim/ArtofGardening.org says
October 24, 2011 at 9:34 pmThanks for letting us know! I always wondered, ’cause I’ve grown some doozies, but was always afraid to eat something I’m not sure of.
Becky Johnson says
October 25, 2011 at 9:21 amHas anyone had any luck storing these tubers? I tried it
once, but it didn’t work very well.
Jean says
October 25, 2011 at 10:34 amYeah! Thanks for the answer to this perennial fall question. Now I can compost in peace.
Tyler says
March 30, 2012 at 1:47 amNice post. I know that if you eat them you have to “cure” them first. That and I wouldn’t eat them if they’re a nursery variety, only if I propagated them myself first!
Ken Brock says
October 13, 2017 at 3:03 pmHow do you do you dig ortimental sweet potatoes?