Sweet potato vines love summer heat

Sometimes the best way to beat the summer heat in the garden is to plant something that truly enjoys it.

If your garden needs a boost during the hottest months of summer, consider adding a heat-loving sweet potato vine to your landscape.

I recently visited the Mississippi State University Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs where their trial gardens were putting on an impressive display. Among the standout performers were several ornamental sweet potatoes.

Their vibrant foliage and vigorous growth of these vines prove that colorful gardens don’t have to fade when the temperatures climb.

One variety that caught my attention was Sweet Caroline Bewitched After Midnight.

If you are looking to add drama to your landscape, this one certainly delivers. Its deeply colored foliage features rich purple-black leaves that appear velvety from a distance. Each leaf has a pointed heart shape with well-defined lobes that create beautiful texture and movement.

For a different look, Sweet Caroline Bewitched With Envy brings brilliant color to the garden.

Its chartreuse-green foliage glows in the sunlight, brightening the area where it is planted. The leaves resemble delicate maple leaves with pointed tips and deep, graceful cuts that give the plant a lacy texture.

Another of my favorites from the trials was Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm.

This selection has the classic, heart-shaped leaves that gardeners love, but with an eye-catching twist. Each leaf has a rich, dark base color highlighted by lighter tones that create a shadowed, hand-painted appearance. The striking variegation gives the foliage exceptional depth, making it a conversation piece.

One of the reasons ornamental sweet potato vines have become such popular landscape plants is their versatility.

They perform exceptionally well in containers, window boxes, hanging baskets, landscape beds and mixed plantings. Their vigorous trailing habit softens hard edges, fills empty spaces quickly and provides months of colorful foliage from spring until frost.

Ornamental sweet potato vines appreciate the warm conditions that challenge many other ornamentals. Plant them in full sun for the richest foliage color, although many varieties tolerate light afternoon shade, especially during the hottest summer months.

They perform best in well-drained soil and benefit from regular watering until they are established. Once growing, they are remarkably resilient and require very little maintenance beyond occasional trimming to keep their vigorous vines in check.

What I appreciate most about ornamental sweet potato vines is their season-long interest that does not rely on flowers. Their colorful foliage is a living backdrop that complements blooming annuals and perennials while adding texture and movement throughout the garden.