Sweet Potatoes vs. Regular Potatoes

Learn more about the benefits of sweet potatoes and how easy they are to grow!

Plant Families

Sweet and regular potatoes are both considered root vegetables but are only distantly related.

Sweet potatoes are from the Morning Glory family, Convolvulaceae, and regular potatoes are nightshades, or Solanaceae. The edible part of these plants are the tubers that grow on the roots.

Sweet potatoes typically have brown skin and orange flesh but also come in purple, yellow, and red varieties. Regular potatoes come in shades of brown, yellow, and red and have white or yellow flesh.

Nutrition

Sweet potatoes are often touted as being healthier than regular potatoes, but in reality, both types can be highly nutritious.

The leaves of the sweet potato plant can also be eaten, prepared like any other leafy green. They are a great source of fiber, antioxidants, essential vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K and minerals like niacin, thiamine and beta carotene.

While regular and sweet potatoes are comparable in their calorie, protein, and carb content, regular potatoes provide more potassium, whereas sweet potatoes are incredibly high in vitamin A.

Both types of potatoes also contain other beneficial plant compounds. Sweet potatoes, including red and purple varieties, are rich in antioxidants that help fight cell damage in your body caused by free radicals. Regular potatoes contain compounds called glycoalkaloids, which have been shown to have anticancer and other beneficial effects in test-tube studies.

Growing

Sweet potatoes create slips while regular potatoes create eyes.

Sweet potatoes are among the easiest of the Convolvulaceae family to grow. They love warm weather with sandy soil, and plenty of light because they aren’t fans of the cold or wet. Sweet potato vines aren’t fussy - they’ll spread along the ground up to 13 feet or cascade out of your containers as far as they can stretch. Their lush leaves add a decorative pop of color to your garden.

Climate

The climate required for growing sweet potatoes is nearly opposite of that needed for regular potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a warm weather crop, growing best when daytime temperatures range from 75 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Regular potatoes need a cooler climate with temperatures between 45 and 80 F for the duration of the growing season.

Time Until Harvest

Sweet potatoes take 100 to 150 days to reach the point they are ready for harvest. You will be able to see this from the color of the vines, which turn yellow and shrivel when it's time to harvest the sweet potatoes. The time to harvest regular potatoes depends on the variety. Early season potatoes require the shortest growing season of just 70 to 90 days. Potatoes for harvest in midseason require 90 to 135 days, and the longest growing potatoes stay in the ground for 135 to 160 days.

Sources (online): Healthline, SFGate and NewIdeaFood