Sweet Caroline Raven™ Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine

Sweet Caroline Raven™ is an ornamental sweetpotato vine selected for shiny, deep purple-black foliage and a trailing habit. Proven Winners now labels its exact cultivar code NCORNSP-024SCRI as Sweet Caroline Raven II; the code and U.S./Canadian rights identifiers match this assigned selection. ## Landscape Use The [Proven Winners profile](https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/ipomoea/sweet-caroline-raven-ornamental-sweet-potato-vine-ipomoea-batatas) lists border, container, groundcover, landscape, and mass-planting uses. Use the vine as a container spiller or annual groundcover, where its dark leaves contrast with bright blooms and lighter foliage. The profile describes good vigor and heat tolerance and cautions that sweetpotato vines can crowd slower companions. ## Growing Conditions Provide part sun to full sun. NC State Extension’s [sweetpotato species guide](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-batatas/) adds full sun or partial shade and loamy, well-drained soil rich in organic matter as general species guidance. The exact profile rates water needs as average and hardiness as zones 11a–11b; in frost-prone gardens, grow it seasonally as an annual. ## Size and Foliage Proven Winners lists a height of 6–16 inches and a spread of 20–36 inches, with trailing stems up to 30 inches. The glossy foliage is described as deep purple-black; the plant is grown for foliage, and deadheading is not needed. ## Maintenance Give the runners room or trim them when they crowd smaller plants. Keep container moisture under review during hot weather, and remove frost-damaged growth at season’s end.