Actually it’s “batatas”, as in Ipomoea batatas. We’re making a go of trying a small crop of sweet potatoes in the Lewis Ginter Community Kitchen Garden. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea.
The primary way of starting a new crop is to plant rooted shoots from established tubers. These shoots are known as “slips”. The slips were provided by Clifton Slade from his organic farm in Surry, VA. Cliff donated two varieties: Beauregard – with a traditional orange flesh, and O’Henry – a white/cream sweet potato.