Sweet Potato Varieties: Learn About Different Types Of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato In The Garden
(Image credit: Tevarak)

There are more than 6,000 different varieties of sweet potatoes worldwide, and growers in the United States can select from more than 100 different types. Sweet potatoes are versatile veggies that may be mild or extra sweet, with flesh of white, red, yellow-orange or purple. Skin color of sweet potato types vary widely from creamy white to rosy red, tan, purple or yellow-orange. If that isn’t enough to think about, sweet potato vines can be compact, vigorous, or semi-bush. Read on to learn about a few of the most popular sweet potato varieties.

Varieties of Sweet Potato

Here are some common sweet potato types:

  • Covington – Rosy skin with deep orange flesh.
  • Darby – Deep red skin, deep orange flesh, vigorous vines.
  • Jewel – Coppery skin, bright orange flesh, semi-bush.
  • Bunch Porto-Rico – Yellow-orange skin and flesh, compact bush.
  • Excel – Orange-tan skin, coppery orange flesh, average to vigorous vines.
  • Evangeline – Rosy skin with deep orange flesh.
  • Heartogold – Tan skin, deep orange flesh, vigorous vines.
  • Red Garnet – Reddish-purple skin, orange flesh, average vines.
  • Vardaman – Pale orange skin, reddish-orange flesh, short vines.
  • Murasaki - Reddish purple skin, white flesh.
  • Golden Slipper (Heirloom) – Pale orange skin and flesh, average vines.
  • Carolina Ruby – Deep reddish-purple skin, dark orange flesh, average vines.
  • O’Henry – Creamy white skin and flesh, semi-bush.
  • Bienville – Pale rose skin, dark orange flesh.
  • Envy – Pale orange skin and flesh, average vines.
  • Sumor – Creamy tan skin, tan to yellow flesh, average vines.
  • Hayman (Heirloom) – Creamy skin and flesh, vigorous vines.
  • Jubilee – Creamy skin and flesh, average vines.
  • Nugget – Pinkish skin, pale orange flesh, average vines.
  • Carolina Bunch – Pale coppery, orange skin and carrot-colored flesh, semi-bush.
  • Centennial – Medium-large, semi-bush potatoes with copper skin and pale orange flesh.
  • Bugs Bunny – Pinkish-red skin, pale orange flesh, vigorous vines.
  • California Gold – Pale orange skin, orange flesh, vigorous vines.
  • Georgia Jet – Reddish-purple skin, deep orange flesh, semi-bush.
Mary H. Dyer
Writer

A Credentialed Garden Writer, Mary H. Dyer was with Gardening Know How in the very beginning, publishing articles as early as 2007.