Illusion Midnight Lace Sweet Potato Vine

Illusion® Midnight Lace is the ornamental sweetpotato selection formally named ‘NCORNSP-011MNLC’. Its plant patent describes a compact, semi-upright, densely mounding habit and dark-purple leaves divided into five to seven deep lobes; it is suited to containers or landscape use, and flowering is rare. [Plant patent description](https://patents.justia.com/patent/PP21743) · [Proven Winners protected-variety listing](https://www.provenwinners.com/sites/provenwinners.com/files/pdf/2024-25_proven_winners_protected_plant_varieties.pdf) ## Foliage and habit Patent observations report green and purple foliage tones that vary with maturity and growing conditions. The average 32.7-cm height and 58.7-cm spread were measured on 68-day-old plants grown individually in six-inch pots in a greenhouse; treat these as trial measurements, not universal mature-size limits. The patent also reports free branching, with no pinching needed to encourage branches. ## Growing conditions NC State's general sweetpotato guidance recommends full sun or partial shade and loamy, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Those conditions apply at species level, while the named selection's growth may vary with climate and culture. The patent notes that ornamental sweetpotatoes usually form smaller storage roots than edible cultivars, so grow this selection for foliage rather than relying on it as a root crop. [NC State Extension plant profile](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-batatas/) ## Maintenance In mild-winter climates this selection may persist as a perennial; elsewhere it is grown as an annual. Use a container or bed with good drainage, and protect it from frost. Allow room for its compact mound and outward-growing shoots; trim only to keep the plant within its allotted space.