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Name That Plant!

Anyone know what the name of this vine is?

last year

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Jay 6a Chicago

last year

last modified: last year

It's probably Ipomoea batatas, Sweet Potato. The leaf color is washed out in the photo, but they usually have chartreuse leaves. All parts of it are edible, but most people only eat the tubers. The foliage comes in a range of colors including dark purple, and variegated forms. Water Spinach, Ipomoea aquatica is widely consumed in Asia, but I believe it's banned in the US. It's very invasive here in southern waterways. Ipomoea batatas is probably the next closest thing in taste, but I've tasted aquatica and it's nothing to write home about.

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Comments (8)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
Aren’t they just terrible pictures of a morning glory? If you think not, we need far better pictures including clear close ups of the flower and buds and information on where in the world it is growing.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
is it possible there are two different plants in there ..

i see a suggestion of english ivy.. but it clearly doesnt flower like that ...

ken
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Jay 6a Chicago
last year
Yes a morning glory with variable trilobed leaves, that could be mistaken for a Hedera species. The leaves don't match the similarly flowered Ipomoea pandurata or I. macrorhiza, and the plant seems larger than Ipomoea lucanosa although there is nothing in the photo to give a sense of scale. Ipomoea species hybridize easily, so it could also be a hybrid. It is important to give a location so we can narrow down the possibilities. We don't know if this is a vollunteer plant that is naturalizing in your area, or if it's a garden specimen that someone planted, and the native Ipomoea species only grow in a certain range.
lizmerrill
Original Author
last year
san joaquin valley, calif. The neighbor planted in his front yard, and yesterday, he was harvesting the leaves and stems into a bag, for I assume to be consumed...any ideas?
fig_insanity Z7a E TN
last year
last modified: last year
I agree with Jay: I. batatas. It appears to be one of the variegated forms (so the photo isn't *quite* as washed out as it seems, lol). In the eastern US, it rarely blooms north of zone 7, as it requires prolonged high heat. Many people in cooler climates will never see a bloom. Even the plain edible sweet potato blooms here for me if planted early enough (I usually grow the cultivar 'Beauregard').

The photo is absolutely typical of the leaf form and bloom of I. batatas.

I've never heard of anyone eating the tubers of the ornamental varieties, which they produce (with a long enough growing season) just like the edible forms do, but they belong to the same species as the edible types. But since they've been chosen for other characteristics than taste/flavor, it might be iffy.
Jay 6a Chicago
last year
last modified: last year
I didn't notice the variegation, because I thought it was just the photo, hood catch.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-04488-4
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
last year
Looks very much like sweet potato to me as well. I have some growing and the flowers are familiar.

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