The sweet potato is a tropical plant and a member of the morning glory family. Compare a sweet potato vine’s foliage and flowers to those of a morning glory and you’ll see the family resemblance! Despite their name, they are not related to potatoes, which are in the nightshade family. Another difference between sweet potatoes and “standard” potatoes is that the edible portion of the sweet potato is a tuberous root, not a true tuber. This root vegetable has deep-orange flesh and a coppery skin jacket. Sweet potatoes are commonly served cooked in mashed form, or roasted whole. Or, they may be used as a pie filling. This tropical crop needs at least four months of warm weather and warm soil, but they are drought- and heat-tolerant and have few pests or diseases. Although traditionally more of a Southern crop, there are many short-season varieties of sweet potato today.