What is this??

I brought this plant home from a RU, having been told it was a moonflower. Except that it blooms in the morning and looks like this ~

This thing branches like crazy, refuses to twine and has taken over a 6' x 7' trellis ~ all from one little plant. Sorry about not being able to get a better pic of the bloom but they're at the very top of the vines.

It also has these weird potato-like roots.

Moby - It sure looks like Ipomoea batatas to me...

Ipomoea batatas in the PlantFiles
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/123419/

TTY,...

Ron

Sure looks like it. Oh well, guess I can eat it.... thanks. :)

You don't eat them.

ALL Ipomoea batatas roots(after cooking),leaves,stems and flowers are totally non-toxic and completely edible if you want(!) to eat them...the leaves are most often stir-fried but can be eaten raw as a salad green...

Ron



This message was edited Aug 23, 2007 7:40 PM

That sure is a pretty flower Moby.. how have you been?

It is a pretty little thing. I've been well, and you?

Alright so far..lol.. it can't be any worse than GW, but I suppose it will someday.

Most people don't eat them do they? They are said not to have a very good flavor.

Sweet potatoes? Are we talking about the same thing? They're frequently called yams, though yams are actually a different plant and are common in South and Central America.

Baked, mashed, candied... I love them any way they come.

They are really tasty!

Ipomoea batatas - commonly known as the Sweet potato
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato

True Yams are in the Family Dioscoreaceae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam_%28vegetable%29


This message was edited Aug 25, 2007 12:47 PM

Ron, hey there again, the picture showed very tall vines and flower clusters. Do Battatas really get that tall? The only battatas varieties I have any experience with are the ones in the produce section, and I have never seen them get tall yet? Frank

Frank - There's absolutely no question in my mind that the plant Moby posted is Ipomoea batatas...

The USDA has close to 1700 different strains and cultivars cataloged...

TTY,...

Ron

Frank ~ you are correct in questioning the height. When I planted it, I thought it was a moonflower so as it grew I trained it up the trellis. It didn't get up there willingly!

It appears to be on a trellis support. I have ipomoea blackie & the tricolor ones that will run over 6ft fences and down quite a ways with no problems.