Sweet Caroline Medusa Green Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas 'Sweet Caroline Medusa Green')
eye-poe-MEE-ah bah-TAH-tass 'Sweet Caroline Medusa Green'

Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you)

Ipomoea batatas, sweet potato vine, is a tender tropical perennial in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), grown here as a fast, vigorous foliage plant for containers, hanging baskets, and garden beds. The same species produces the edible culinary sweet potato, though the ornamental selections sold here are bred for colorful leaves rather than for eating. Trailing or mounding stems carry heart-shaped to deeply lobed leaves in shades ranging from near-black purple to chartreuse and variegated, depending on cultivar. Given full sun to part sun, it grows quickly; left unconstrained in warm climates the species can spread 8 feet or more in a season, though most garden cultivars sold here stay considerably more compact. It occasionally produces funnel-shaped, white-to-lavender morning-glory-type flowers, but blooms sparsely, especially this far north, and is grown almost entirely for its foliage. Not winter hardy in the Chicago area; it is killed by the first hard frost and is replanted annually.

Pros

  • Fast, vigorous trailing foliage fills containers and beds in a single season
  • Wide range of leaf colors across cultivars, from near-black purple to bright chartreuse
  • Non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, unlike many true morning glories
  • Easy-care and heat-tolerant

Cons

This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 6 - 12 inches tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet
Zones 9a - 11b (Usually hardy to 20° F)
Tags Annual in Chicago, Colorful Foliage, Container, Fast Growth Rate, Full Sun, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Hanging Basket, Insignificant Flowers, Low Maintenance, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Spillers, Tender Perennial, Vine, Wet
Bloom Period Rarely Flowers
Flower Color Lavender And White
Foliage Color

Photos of This with...

Sweet Caroline Medusa Green Sweet Potato, ColorBlaze Chocolate Drop Coleus, Heart To Heart Lemon Blush Elephant Ear, Superbells Coral Sun Million Bells, Boldly Coral Geranium, Fireworks Variegated Red Fountain Grass, Sunbini Creeping Zinnia, Lemon Coral Stonecrop, ColorBlaze Wicked Witch Coleus, Angelface Cascade Pink Summer Snapdragon, Double Delight Blush Rose Begonia, Solenia Scarlet Rieger Begonia, Goldilocks Rocks Bidens, Heart to Heart Burning Heart Elephant Ear, Heart to Heart Raspberry Moon Elephant Ear, Lady Godiva Orange Calendula, Superbells Blue Moon Punch Calibrachoa, Superbells Grape Punch Calibrachoa, Superbells Pomegranate Punch Calibrachoa, Superbells Tropical Sunrise Calibrachoa, Coffee Cups Elephant's Ear, Silver Falls Dichondra, Mezoo Trailing Red Livingstone Daisy, Sweet Caroline Kiwi Sweet Potato Vine, Sweet Caroline Raven Improved Sweet Potato, Sweet Caroline Red Hawk Sweet Potato Vine, Fiber Optic Grass, Royal Velvet English Lavender, Goldilocks Creeping Jenny, Graceful Grasses Purple Fountain Grass, Supertunia Black Cherry, Honey Supertunia, Supertunia Royal Velvet Petunia, Whirlwind Pink Fan Flower, ColorBlaze Rediculous Coleus, ColorBlaze Strawberry Drop Coleus, ColorBlaze Torchlight Coleus, ColorBlaze Velveteen Coleus, Catalina Pink Wishbone Flower, Superbena Cherryburst Verbena, Superbena Royale Peachy Keen Verbena,
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 05/31
2024 : 02/08 - 05/18

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!