Crop type: Sweet Potatoes
Ipomoea batatas ‘Bonita’ PBR
Common name: Sweet potato ‘Bonita’
Crop slug: sweet-potatoes
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile and its linked crop guidance. Check the sources and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Bonita’ is a twining perennial climber normally grown as an annual for its edible storage roots. The roots have pale tan skin lightly flushed with pink and pale creamy flesh with a delicate nutty flavour. Heart-shaped green leaves cover stems that can climb to around 3m, and purple flowers may appear in summer.
This Plant Breeders’ Rights cultivar is highly tender and needs substantial warmth. It is best grown under glass in colder areas, although gardeners in warmer regions may grow it outside after frost. Under suitable conditions the roots are ready in about 90–110 days.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 2.5–4 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 1.5–2.5 metres
- Time to maturity
- 1 year
- Habit
- Climbing
The profile describes a vine around 3m high, within its wider ultimate-height range. Provide a firm support so the long stems can climb without occupying the entire bed or greenhouse floor.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well drained, or well drained
- Soil pH
- Acid or neutral
Well-drained sandy loam is the specified growing medium. Maintain moisture during active growth without leaving roots waterlogged. Consistent conditions are important during the relatively short 90–110-day swelling period.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H1C — suitable outdoors in summer at approximately 5–10°C, but not frost hardy
Aim for 22–28°C during growth. A greenhouse provides the most reliable heat in colder districts. Outdoor plants need a warm region, full sun, shelter and planting only after frost danger has passed.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Foliage and flowers | Storage roots |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Fresh green heart-shaped leaves | Developing after slips establish |
| Summer | Green foliage and possible purple flowers | Pale tan skin with pink flush developing |
| Autumn | Green foliage before lifting | Mature pale creamy flesh |
| Winter | Deciduous or lifted | Stored briefly for kitchen use |
The most useful cultivar identifiers are its pale tan, pink-flushed skin, pale creamy flesh and heart-shaped foliage. Purple summer flowers may provide a further distinction when the plant receives enough warmth.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Convolvulaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Lifecycle
- Twining perennial grown as an annual vegetable
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Name status
- Accepted
- Plant Breeders’ Rights
- Yes
Genus
Ipomoea includes annuals and perennials, many with twining stems, as well as evergreen shrubs. Leaves may be simple, lobed or dissected, and tubular or funnel-shaped flowers can be solitary or clustered. ‘Bonita’ combines the genus’s twining habit and heart-shaped leaves with enlarged edible storage roots.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Plant in well-drained sandy loam in full sun and provide support for the climbing stems. Maintain an optimum temperature of 22–28°C. Grow outdoors only in warm regions after frost; elsewhere use a greenhouse or conservatory.
Roots become ready after about 90–110 days, depending on conditions. Maintain warmth and moisture throughout that period, then lift before frost. Refer to the parent guide for pot sizes, feeding, spacing, watering, curing and short-term storage.
Propagation
Propagate from slips, the rooted shoots produced by a storage root. Pot and grow them indoors in spring, then plant them into the final growing position only after frost.
Pruning
Only minimal pruning is needed. Train the stems on their support and trim excessive growth where necessary rather than shortening the whole vine.
Pests
Potential pests are glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly. Inspect leaf undersides regularly in warm protected conditions.
Diseases
The profile lists possible fusarium wilt, powdery mildew and virus diseases. Begin with healthy slips, maintain airflow and drainage, and remove plants showing suspicious systemic symptoms.