Ipomoea 'Queen of Spades'

Play your cards right and this fast foliage plant will take off with beautiful, black foliage. The new heart shaped leaves are green and they darken with age.

Ipomoea are top, ornamental foliage plants that will thrill and spill from pots or hanging baskets. You can have a bit fun mixing and matching them in combination plantings, with other Ipomoea or other plants. They make a great understorey compliment.

But they don’t just look fantastic in containers, they also hold their own in the garden, where they can be used as a ground cover, a trellised vine, garden bed filler, or have them cascading from a retaining wall. They are hugely popular overseas, but just starting out in Australia.

Ipomoea will grow and fill a space quickly, and are easily pruned to size. Tip prune to encourage a more bushy plant or allow them to ramble. They respond well to pruning.

Ipomoea grow well in moderately fertile to humus rich, moist, well drained soil in a sunny spot. The tubers are edible, (ornamental sweet potatoes), but nowhere near as tasty.

Ipomoea are heat, and pest tolerant and they love the sun. You can lift the tuber at the end of the growing season and store them for replanting in spring.