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Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato

Ipomoea batatas 'Kolibri'

A stunning ornamental sweet potato that doubles as an edible variety, featuring deep purple foliage that creates dramatic contrast in gardens. The compact tubers have purple skin and cream flesh with a mildly sweet flavor. This dual-purpose variety is perfect for gardeners who want both beautiful landscaping and a unique harvest.

Harvest

90-120d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun to partial shade

☀️

Zones

9–11

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

6-10 feet

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct Sow

Harvest

Direct Sow

Harvest

Showing dates for Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 root-vegetable →

Zone Map

Click a state to update dates

Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato · Zones 9–11

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing12-18 inches

SoilWell-drained, loose soil with good organic matter

pH5.8-6.2

Water1 inch per week, drought tolerant once established

SeasonWarm season

FlavorMildly sweet with nutty undertones, less sweet than orange varieties

ColorPurple skin with cream flesh

Size3-5 inches long, 2-3 inches diameter

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 3	—	—	May – June	August – October
Zone 4	—	—	April – June	August – October
Zone 5	—	—	April – May	July – November
Zone 6	—	—	April – May	July – November
Zone 7	—	—	March – May	July – November
Zone 8	—	—	March – April	June – December
Zone 9	—	—	February – March	May – December
Zone 10	—	—	January – March	May – December
Zone 1	—	—	June – July	September – September
Zone 2	—	—	May – July	September – September
Zone 11	—	—	January – February	April – December
Zone 12	—	—	January – February	April – December
Zone 13	—	—	January – February	April – December

Complete Growing Guide

Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry, Occasionally Wet. Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 6-feet-12 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Low. Propagation: Root Cutting.

Harvesting

Edibility: Edible leaves, tuberous roots, and stems. Sweet potatoes are a popular vegetable. Ornamental cultivars are not as tasty.

Storage & Preservation

After curing, store Kolibri Purple Sweet Potatoes in a cool (55-60°F), dark location with good ventilation. A basement or root cellar is ideal – avoid refrigeration, which converts starches to sugars and creates an unpleasantly sweet flavor. Properly cured and stored tubers last 6-8 months.

For preservation, these sweet potatoes excel when sliced and dehydrated into chips, maintaining their purple color beautifully. They also freeze well when blanched and cubed, though the texture becomes softer after thawing – perfect for mashing or soups. Pressure canning works for long-term storage, but the cream flesh may darken slightly. The colorful purple skins make them particularly striking when pickled or fermented, adding visual appeal to preserved vegetable medleys.

History & Origin

The Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato emerges from ornamental breeding lines developed in Europe, particularly within German and Dutch horticulture programs that prioritized both aesthetic and culinary traits. While precise breeder attribution remains undocumented in major seed archives, the variety reflects the broader mid-20th-century movement toward dual-purpose ornamental vegetables, where traditional Ipomoea batatas germplasm was selected for striking foliage coloration alongside edible tuber quality. The "Kolibri" designation suggests European seed company introduction, likely German in origin, though comprehensive breeding records for this specific cultivar are not readily available in standard horticultural literature. Its development aligns with the resurgence of ornamental edibles in contemporary gardening.

Origin: Mexico

Advantages

+Attracts: Pollinators, Specialized Bees
+Fast-growing
+Low maintenance

Companion Plants

Nasturtiums and marigolds do the most work in this bed. Nasturtiums draw aphids away from the vines and attract predatory insects that stick around for other pests. French marigolds (Tagetes patula) produce thiophenes in their roots that suppress soil nematode populations — a genuine benefit for a crop that sits underground for 90-120 days. Bush beans fix atmospheric nitrogen and stay shallow enough that they don't tangle with Kolibri's sprawling stems. Herbs like oregano and thyme contribute some pest-confusion effect through volatile oils, though the mechanism is less documented than the marigold-nematode relationship.

Sunflowers produce allelopathic root compounds that can inhibit neighboring plants, and their height will shade out a crop that needs 6 or more hours of direct sun. Tomatoes are a bad pairing for a different reason: both crops carry fusarium wilt pressure, and concentrating them in the same spot builds up inoculum exactly where you don't want it — which is the problem NC State Extension's IPM rotation guidance is designed to avoid. Walnut trees produce juglone, a chemical toxic to a wide range of crops; keep Kolibri plantings well outside the root zone of any nearby walnut.

Plant Together

Nasturtiums

Repels sweet potato weevils, Colorado potato beetles, and aphids while acting as trap crop

Marigolds

Deters nematodes and sweet potato weevils with their strong scent and root secretions

Bush Beans

Fixes nitrogen in soil to benefit sweet potato growth without competing for space

Oregano

Repels many harmful insects and doesn't compete with sweet potato's spreading growth habit

Thyme

Natural pest deterrent that grows low and won't interfere with sweet potato vines

Parsley

Attracts beneficial insects while requiring minimal ground space

Spinach

Cool-season crop that can be harvested before sweet potatoes spread, maximizing garden space

Lettuce

Quick-growing crop that can utilize space before sweet potato vines spread extensively

Keep Apart

Sunflowers

Allelopathic compounds inhibit sweet potato growth and tall plants create excessive shade

Tomatoes

Both are heavy feeders competing for nutrients, and share similar pest problems

Walnut Trees

Produce juglone which is toxic to sweet potatoes and inhibits root development

Nutrition Facts

Calories

42kcal(2%)

Protein

2.49g(5%)

Fiber

5.3g(19%)

Carbs

8.82g(3%)

Fat

0.51g(1%)

Vitamin C

11mg(12%)

Vitamin A

189mcg(21%)

Vitamin K

302mcg(252%)

Iron

0.97mg(5%)

Calcium

78mg(6%)

Potassium

508mg(11%)

Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #169303)

Pests & Disease Resistance

Resistance

Good resistance to most sweet potato diseases, naturally pest resistant

Common Pests

Sweet potato weevil, flea beetles, wireworms

Diseases

Black rot, fusarium wilt, root rot in poorly drained soils

Troubleshooting Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Slips or young transplants collapse overnight — stems shrink and blacken at the soil line, lower leaves go yellow-brown

Likely Causes

Damping off (Pythium or Rhizoctonia spp.) — soil-borne fungi that spike when soil stays cold and wet
Planting slips too early into soil below 60°F

What to Do

1.Pull and trash affected plants immediately — don't compost them
2.Wait until soil temps hold at least 60°F before transplanting slips; 65°F is safer
3.Improve drainage before the next planting — raised beds or heavy compost incorporation will do more than any fungicide

Roots show dark, sunken lesions or a dry black rot when you dig at 90-120 days; foliage may look fine until harvest

Likely Causes

Black rot (Ceratocystis fimbriata) — spreads through infected slips, contaminated tools, or soil where sweet potatoes grew the previous season
Sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius) — feeding damage creates entry wounds that secondary rot fungi exploit

What to Do

1.Source certified disease-free slips — this does more to prevent black rot than anything you can spray after the fact
2.Rotate the bed out of sweet potatoes and other Ipomoea species for at least 3-4 years, per NC State Extension's IPM rotation guidance
3.Before planting, check slip bases for weevil puncture holes or dark discoloration and discard anything suspect

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you grow Kolibri purple sweet potato in containers?▼

Yes, Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato grows excellently in containers due to its compact tuber size. Use containers at least 20 gallons with drainage holes, filled with well-draining potting mix. The trailing purple vines create beautiful spillover effects in large pots or raised planters. Container growing also makes harvest easier and provides better pest control.

What does Kolibri purple sweet potato taste like?▼

Kolibri has a mildly sweet flavor with nutty undertones, significantly less sweet than orange sweet potato varieties. The cream-colored flesh has a slightly drier texture, making it excellent for roasting and baking where it won't become overly sweet. The purple skin adds visual appeal but doesn't contribute purple color to the flesh.

How long does Kolibri purple sweet potato take to grow?▼

Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato matures in 90-120 days from slip planting. In warmer zones (8-9), you can harvest at 90 days for smaller tubers, while cooler zones (6-7) typically need the full 120 days. Plant after soil reaches 65°F and harvest before first hard frost for optimal tuber development.

Is Kolibri purple sweet potato good for beginners?▼

Yes, Kolibri is excellent for beginners due to its natural pest resistance, drought tolerance once established, and forgiving growth habits. The main requirements are warm soil for planting and avoiding overwatering. The ornamental foliage provides visual reward even if the harvest is modest, making it less intimidating than varieties grown solely for tuber production.

Can you eat Kolibri purple sweet potato leaves?▼

Yes, Kolibri sweet potato leaves are edible and nutritious, commonly eaten in many cultures. Harvest young, tender leaves and shoots by pinching them off, then sauté or stir-fry like spinach. However, limit leaf harvesting to maintain plant energy for tuber development, especially in shorter growing seasons.

When should I plant Kolibri purple sweet potato slips?▼

Plant Kolibri slips only after soil temperature consistently reaches 65°F and all frost danger has passed. This typically means late May to early June in zones 6-7, mid-May in zone 8, and early May in zone 9. Cold soil will permanently stunt growth, so patience pays off with better yields.