Botanical Name: Ipomoea batatas
Some other names: Kumara, Yam, Kamote
How to Grow It
Sweet Potato is a low-growing, scrambling perennial vine that can spread over several metres, forming a lush green ground cover. Left unchecked, it will happily creep over beds, fences, and paths, rooting wherever the stems touch the soil.
Climate: Sweet potato is naturally a subtropical to tropical crop, but many gardeners successfully grow it in warm temperate areas once frost danger has passed. In cooler regions, it can be grown as a summer annual — it will die back at the first frost, but will often reshoot if the tubers survive in the soil.
Sun & soil: Prefers full sun for the best tuber yields, but will also wander into part shade and still produce. Sweet potatoes thrive in well-drained, deep, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter. In my subtropical garden, they’ll grow in just about anything — the tubers are smaller in poor soil, but the leaf harvest remains abundant.
Water & drought tolerance: They love moisture during their main growing season, but are very drought tolerant once established. In fact, they can survive on rainfall alone, slowing their growth in dry periods and bouncing back when the rain comes.
Propagation: The easiest way is to plant pieces of tuber with at least one “eye” or bud. You can also use tip cuttings— just snip off a healthy vine tip, poke it into soil, and it will root almost instantly in warm weather.
Pots & containers: If you want tubers, pots are a bit restrictive – your yields will depend on the size of your container. If you just want a continuous supply of edible leaves and shoots (which I absolutely recommend), Sweet Potato will happily grow in large tubs or planters with regular watering and feeding.
Tip: Rotate beds or refresh the soil each year with compost and manure if you’re growing for tubers — otherwise, the yield drops noticeably in the second year.
Herbal & Nutrient Value
Sweet Potato is one of the most nutritious survival crops you can grow.
- Tubers are rich in carbohydrates for energy, vitamins A & C (great for immunity and skin health), iron (good for blood health), and calcium (for bones and teeth).
- Leaves & shoots are packed with protein, vitamins A, B & C, and minerals — they’re actually more nutrient-dense than the tubers!
Herbal actions & traditional use:
The leaves are used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory food and for wound healing poultices.
Sweet Potato is also believed to support eye health (thanks to its high beta carotene) and gut health (the fibre helps digestion).
Traditional & Home Remedies
Sweet Potato Porridge for Convalescence – cooked with rice and ginger for easy digestion.
Purple Sweet Potato Tea – antioxidant-rich infusion from purple-fleshed sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato Poultice – mashed tubers applied to soothe minor burns and skin irritation.
Using It in the Kitchen
Sweet Potato is a culinary treat — you can use both the roots and the leaves.
- Tubers: Can be baked, roasted, mashed, boiled, steamed, fried, or even grated raw into salads. Their flavour ranges from mild to sweet, depending on the variety.
- Young leaves & shoots: Taste like a mild spinach with a hint of sweetness. Use them fresh or lightly cooked — they wilt beautifully in stir-fries, soups, and curries.
Storage tip: Store tubers in a cool, dry spot (not the fridge) for weeks, even months. Leaves should be used fresh — they don’t keep well.
Simple recipe ideas
– Sweet Potato Wedges: Toss chunks with olive oil, garlic, and salt, then roast until crispy.
– Sweet Potato Leaf Stir-Fry: Flash-fry young leaves and shoots with garlic and soy for a quick side dish.
– Sweet Potato Mash: Boil tubers, mash with butter and a pinch of nutmeg for a warming comfort food.
– Tropical Leaf Omelette: Add chopped sweet potato leaves at the last minute to an omelette — bright green, mild, and delicious.
– Sweet Potato & Chickpea Curry: Add cubed tubers to a coconut curry for a filling, hearty meal.
Other Uses
- Animal fodder: All parts of the plant are edible for animals — chickens, goats, and pigs love the leaves and vines.
- Mulch & soil cover: The sprawling vines work as a living mulch, shading the ground, suppressing weeds, and preventing erosion.
- Soil improver: When cut back, the vines and leaves can be chopped up for green manure or compost, feeding your soil for the next crop.
Why it’s a survival plant:
Sweet Potato is one of the most resilient and giving plants you can grow. It provides two crops in one — starchy tubers for long-term energy and tender leaves for daily greens. It tolerates heat, dry spells, and neglect, and once it’s established, it’s you’ve got it for good — which is exactly what you want in a survival garden.
