Are you a celery fan? Done right, it’s satisfyingly flavorful with a pleasing texture that leaves you wanting more.But it can be difficult for the home gardener to achie
12.06.2023 - 01:01 / gardenerspath.com / Laura Ojeda Melchor
21 of the Best Sweet Potato Varieties for Your GardenA certain family member of mine insists that only the tuberous root veggies with cream-colored flesh are real sweet potatoes. The orange things, she says, are yams.
Friends, my dear family member is wrong. Just about every sweet potato you see at the store – especially the orange ones – is a true sweet potato, also called “sweetpotato,” botanical name Ipomoea batatas.
True yams, on the other hand, belong to the Dioscorea genus.
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Even more fascinating, I. batatas are part of the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, while true yams belong to the Dioscoreaceae family. Yams are completely unrelated to sweet potatoes!
These root crops are a worthy addition to any garden that can grow them.
They thrive in Zones 6 through 12 but some varieties can grow in cooler zones with adequate support. Or, I should say, with added warmth. You can learn all about growing them in our guide.
Most likely cultivated thousands of years ago from wild plants in Central or South America, the sweet potato loves warm weather.
Like its distant relative, the potato (Solanum tuberosum), I. batatas are rich in nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, especially the orange varieties, and a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin B6.
These nutritious, tuberous roots come in many colors and various levels of sugariness. Are you ready to meet 21 delicious varieties to grow at home?
Let’s get started!
21 of the Best Sweet Potato CultivarsBefore we dive into the list, here’s a bit of pertinent information about the sweet potato.
On average, these tuberous roots grow four to six inches
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