A member of the morning glory family, it has the ability to vine and crawl along the ground. It makes a wonderful groundcover. Plant sweet potatoes in mounds or raised beds of well-drained, loose soil, Goodspeed explains. During warm summers the plants can cover a four or five square foot area with a thick mat of leaves and vines. It really doesn't flower, but the foliage is attractive.
Colors range from a deep green to purple or bronze.
Since sweet potatoes are a warm season crop, start them as early as possible, he says. Some nurseries in Utah sell sweet potato slips, or they can be purchased from mail order catalogs. Harvest sweet potatoes right before the first killing frost in the fall. Peppers are another great addition to any flowering or ornamental bed, Goodspeed says. Of course ornamental peppers are well known for their small purple, red, yellow and white fruits.