Wild Potato Vine, Man of the earth
Ipomoea pandurata

Family: Convolvulaceae

What it is like

Ipomoea pandurata is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 3.5 m (11ft 6in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in flower from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 3.5

Where it is found

Fields, hedgerows and roadsides in dry open or partially shaded areas.

Eastern N. America - Connecticut to Florida, west to Texas, Kansas and Michigan.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Root - cooked. The young ones are best, they become very acrid as they get old. The roots can be up to 75cm long and 12cm in diameter and can weigh 7 kilos. Roots weighing 10 kilos or more are not unknown. They are best if given a long roasting. Roasted roots taste like sweet potato but with some bitterness.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 2

A poultice of the root is applied to aching joints in the treatment of rheumatism. A tea made from the dried root is diuretic, expectorant and laxative. It has been used in the treatment of strangury and calculus diseases, abdominal pains etc. It also slightly influences the lungs, liver and kidneys without excessive diuresis or catharsis. Caution should be employed because the plant can be strongly laxative.

Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Other

Rating: 2

An infusion of the plant has been used for soaking sweet potatoes in order to keep away bugs and moles.

Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Requires a rich well-drained loam in a warm sunny position. The hardiest member of the genus, it tolerates frozen soil and should survive winter temperatures down to at least -10°c. A climbing plant, supporting itself by twining around the branches of other plants. A very ornamental plant. This species has become a troublesome weed in many warm countries and is difficult to eradicate because of its deep root. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. Growth habit is a single or multiple shooting vine from a crown. Herbaceous. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down. The root pattern is tuberous with swollen potato-like roots .

Propagating it: Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water, or scarify the seed, and sow in individual pots in a greenhouse in early spring. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at 22°c. Plants are extremely resentful of root disturbance, even when they are quite small, and should be potted up almost as soon as they germinate. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of side shoots in a peaty soil. Layering.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial Climber

Hardiness: 6-9

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

There is a report that the root could be poisonous.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Convulvulus candicans. C. panduratus.