Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, Micronesia
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Hannah Yams, Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
40015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Tropical regions
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-126-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-6
Sunset Zone
21,22
H1, H2, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple, Light Green, Chartreuse, Bronze
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Stem Cutting, Tuber propagation
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of water initially
Needs small amount of water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Beetles, Leafminers, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Beetles, Mites, white worms
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling, Vomiting
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin C
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root, Shoots
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
IPOMOEA batatas
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Vine
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
शकरकंद
सुई ताड़
In German
Süßkartoffel
Nadel -Palme
In French
Patate douce
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Batata
palmera aguja
In Greek
Γλυκοπατάτα
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Batata doce
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Słodki ziemniak
Igła palma
In Latin
Dulcis SOLANUM TUBEROSUM
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Arecales
Family
Convolvulaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Ipomoea
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Corypheae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
40010
1
27800
👆🏻