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Sweet Potato and Wedding Cake Tree


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Annual and Perennial  

Type
Tree  
Bulb or Corm or Tuber  

Origin
India, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea  
Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, Micronesia  

Types
Cornus controversa  
Hannah Yams, Japanese Sweet Potatoes  

Number of Varieties
1  
400  
25

Habitat
Woodland Garden Canopy  
Cold Regions, Tropical regions  

USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8  
11-12  

AHS Heat Zone
8-1  
12-1  

Sunset Zone
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  
21,22  

Habit
Upright/Erect  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
1,070.00 cm  
38
60.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
610.00 cm  
34
30.00 cm  

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
White, Ivory  
-  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Burgundy, Dark Blue, Black  
-  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green  
Green, Purple, Light Green, Chartreuse, Bronze  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green  
Light Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Light Yellow, Burgundy, Dark Red  
Several shades of Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
-  
Light Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Ovate  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Very Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer  
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
No  

Tolerances
-  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings  
Stem Cutting, Tuber propagation  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering during dry weather  
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of water initially  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
-  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Canker, Powdery mildew  
Aphids, Beetles, Leafminers, Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
-  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
-  
No  

Foliage Texture
Coarse  
Coarse  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
No  
No  

Attracts
Birds  
Aphids, Beetles, Mites, white worms  

Allergy
-  
Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling, Vomiting  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Used in parkland  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Antiphlogistic  
Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin C  

Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves  
Leaves, Root, Shoots  

Other Uses
Oil used in the lubricating and soap industry  
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Shade Trees, Street Trees  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
CORNUS controversa  
IPOMOEA batatas  

Common Name
Giant Dogwood, Wedding Cake Tree  
Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Vine  

In Hindi
Wedding Cake Tree  
शकरकंद  

In German
Hochzeitstorte Baum  
Süßkartoffel  

In French
Gâteau de mariage Arbre  
Patate douce  

In Spanish
Pastel de bodas del árbol  
Batata  

In Greek
Γαμήλια τούρτα Δέντρο  
Γλυκοπατάτα  

In Portuguese
Árvore do bolo de casamento  
Batata doce  

In Polish
Wedding Cake Drzewo  
Słodki ziemniak  

In Latin
MUSTACEUM ligno  
Dulcis SOLANUM TUBEROSUM  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Cornales  
Solanales  

Family
Cornaceae  
Convolvulaceae  

Genus
Cornus  
Ipomoea  

Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
Cornoideae  
-  

Number of Species
3  
400  
99+

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