Ornamental sweet potato vines are providing a splash of color to the late summer landscape in downtown Shawnee, at residences and at businesses throughout the area.
Once established, along with proper weather conditions, these plants grow amazingly fast.
The large containers in the traffic island on Bell Street were planted with Margarita (chartreuse) and Blackie (dark purple) ornamental sweet potatoes this year.
The starter plants were grown by the horticulture classes at Gordon Cooper Technology Center.
They were provided as part of a grant to the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. OG&E funded the KOB grant.
Many of the plants in the sidewalk pockets on Main Street were started from cuttings taken from the Bell Street plants.
Cuttings will root in water in less than a week and are easy to establish in moist soil that has been enriched with a little compost, peat moss or other material that helps retain moisture.
The ornamental sweet potato vines in front of the conference center at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center were planted by them three years ago. In the fall when the plants freeze, they are cut back and in late spring they sprout.
By July they had become large plants.
No doubt the southern location and protection from north exposure contributes to this phenomenon.
Most people will not have planting conditions that provide that kind of protection.
Sometimes the growth of the vines gets out of control for the planting area.
Some just prune them to fit the area.
Another possibility is to use wire retainers made from metal coat hangers, bent like a croquet wicket, to direct the growth to a more satisfactory location.
Ornamental sweet potato plants are also available in a variegated pink, gray, and green leaf. It is a nice combination with the Blackie plant.
If you are downtown and see some of the plants on Main Street spilling over the curb and into the street, it is OK to snip a cutting from the street side, put it in water, and grow vines of your own.
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Ornamental sweet potato vines are providing a splash of color to the late summer landscape in downtown Shawnee, at residences and at businesses throughout the area.
Once established, along with proper weather conditions, these plants grow amazingly fast.
The large containers in the traffic island on Bell Street were planted with Margarita (chartreuse) and Blackie (dark purple) ornamental sweet potatoes this year.
The starter plants were grown by the horticulture classes at Gordon Cooper Technology Center.
They were provided as part of a grant to the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. OG&E funded the KOB grant.
Many of the plants in the sidewalk pockets on Main Street were started from cuttings taken from the Bell Street plants.
Cuttings will root in water in less than a week and are easy to establish in moist soil that has been enriched with a little compost, peat moss or other material that helps retain moisture.
The ornamental sweet potato vines in front of the conference center at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center were planted by them three years ago. In the fall when the plants freeze, they are cut back and in late spring they sprout.
By July they had become large plants.
No doubt the southern location and protection from north exposure contributes to this phenomenon.
Most people will not have planting conditions that provide that kind of protection.
Sometimes the growth of the vines gets out of control for the planting area.
Some just prune them to fit the area.
Another possibility is to use wire retainers made from metal coat hangers, bent like a croquet wicket, to direct the growth to a more satisfactory location.
Ornamental sweet potato plants are also available in a variegated pink, gray, and green leaf. It is a nice combination with the Blackie plant.
If you are downtown and see some of the plants on Main Street spilling over the curb and into the street, it is OK to snip a cutting from the street side, put it in water, and grow vines of your own.
