Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is in the botanical family Convolvulaceae along

with common plants, such as bindweed and morning glory. The generic
name Ipomoea comes from the Greek words "ips," meaning bindweed,
and "homoios," meaning similar. Sweet potatoes should not be confused with
ordinary potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) as they are entirely unrelated, although
their uses can be similar. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are often known as yams,
especially in the southern United States, but they are quite different from true yams
(Dioscorea sp.) in growth habit and use. Furthermore, unlike true yams, the greens of
sweet potatoes are edible and provide an important source of food in Africa and 

All varieties of sweet potato are good sources of vitamins C and E as well as dietary
fiber, potassium, and iron, and they are low in fat and cholesterol (see the Table for
more detail). The orange-and red-fleshed forms of sweet potato are particularly high
in beta-carotene, the vitamin A precursor.

Sweet potatoes grow in all warm, humid areas of the world and at the beginning of
the twenty-first century were the seventh largest world food crop, 95 percent of
which is produced in developing countries. They are typically grown by small
farmers, often on marginal ground. This crop plant has a long history of saving lives.
It matures fast, is rich in nutrients, and is often the first crop planted after a natural
disaster, providing abundant food for otherwise starving populations. In eastern
Africa the sweet potato is known as "the protector of children" or cilera
abana because it is often the only food that stands between a child's survival and
starvation.

Sweet potatoes are tropical plants that can also be grown in the summer in
temperate regions as long as they have at least five frost-free months combined with
fairly warm days and nights. They can be grown from vine cuttings or by planting
pieces of the roots. To grow new plants, place one or more sweet potatoes in a bed
of sand and cover with a couple of inches of moist, sandy soil. When the sprouts
reach about 10 inches (25.4 centimeters), detach by twisting and transplant to the
place they are to grow. Push sprouts about 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) into the
ground and water well. Leave a distance of about 1 foot (30 centimeters) between
plants and 3 feet, 3 inches (1 meter) between rows. Sweet potatoes do best in full
sun with fertile, open sandy-loam soils. They also like some added manure (well
rotted) and compost, although they should not be given too much nitrogen as this
encourages leaf growth at the expense of root growth. They benefit from regular
additions of potash. Roots will be bigger and easier to harvest if sprouts are planted
into raised mounds about 1 foot (30 centimeters) high. This is particularly important
in heavy or wet soil. Once established, apart from occasional weeding, sweet
potatoes need little https://www.encyclopedia.com/plants-and-animals/plants/plants/sweet-
potato