Purple Asian Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas
The Purple Asian Sweet Potato are botanically classified as being in the Morning Glory family, and it is also known for by other common names of Okinawan sweet potato, Hawaiian sweet potato, and Japanese yam. Unlike regular sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes contain high levels of anthocyanins.
The tubers can be prepared by boiling, baking, mashing, roasting, and frying. It can also be added to bread dough to increase moistness and add color and increase the nutritional content. Also, the leaves of these plants contain polyphenols, which has been shown to suppress the growth of human cancer cells. The leaves can be added to stir-fry’s and soups.
Height: 6″ from vine stem
Zones: heat loving
Days to Harvest: 120- 140
Container: yes
Deer Resistant: no
Grow: make a hole and then cover roots with soil
Plant Color: green vine
Bloom Color: lavender
Life Cycle: annual
Spacing: 12″ to 18″ apart
Juglone Tolerant: no
Heat: temps must be consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit
Sunlight: full
Soil: loose, loamy, damp
Water: every other day and then taper to once per week
Design Styles: potager, kitchen garden
History
Originating in Central and South America, the purple sweet potato plant was taken to Asia by Spanish explorers in the 1600s. The Japanese and Filipino peoples liked this food crop and commonly cultivated it for it’s tubers as well as it’s green leaves.
Uses
These are ways you can use this plant in your landscape or farm:
* leaves and tubers are edible
* green ground cover – frost sensitive
* lavender flowers are very pretty
NOTE: Use a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Too much nitrogen in the soil will cause potato vines to grow rather than the tubers.
Design
You can place this plant in full sun to partial shade locations. It’s a lovely addition to the potager, and provides a soil cover to help stop evaporative loss. The plants will need at least 6 full hours of sun each day, and will be killed with the first light frost of the season. Harvest within two days of the vines dying.
Amount per 1 medium cooked tuber (171g)
kCalories 251
Total Fat 0 g
Saturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Potassium 0 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 61 g
Dietary fiber 6 g
Sugar 0 g
Protein 1 g
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Vitamin A 183%
Vitamin C 38%
Vitamin B6 29%
Thiamin (B1) 18%
Vitamin E 7%
Niacin (B3) 6%
Riboflavin (B2) 5%
Folate 3%
* nutrient analysis by the University of
Hawaiʻi at Manoa
% Daily Value
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
22%
21%
0%
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Calcium 4%
Iron 6%
Magnesium 7%
Potassium 17%
Phosphorus 4%
Sodium 1%
Zinc 9%
Benefits
By choosing the Asian Purple Sweet Potato, you have an expanded health benefit. According to the National Institute of Health, Vitamin A is important for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development. Vitamin A also helps your heart, lungs, and other organs work properly.
Further, Anthocyanins possess antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity effects, as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The purple color indicates that it contains the antioxidant anthocyanin.
The average daily intake of anthocyanins may be around 12.5 mg per day per person in the United States. Fresh purple sweet potatoes can contain 519 mg of anthocyanins per 100 grams.
Parting Thoughts
Some parting thoughts about this plant – will be added soon!
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