Key takeaways
- Beauregard is the easiest variety to find and a reliable cropper under cover
- T65 and Bonita suit shorter, cooler UK seasons and are the best bets outdoors
- Evangeline and Carolina Ruby are grown for flavour; Murasaki for its purple skin and white flesh
- Every variety crops more heavily in a polytunnel or greenhouse than in an open bed
- Grow two or three varieties to spread the risk in a cool summer
The best sweet potato varieties for UK growers are Beauregard for a reliable all-round crop, and T65 or Bonita for cooler, shorter seasons. If flavour is your thing, try Evangeline or Carolina Ruby. For something different, Murasaki has purple skin and white flesh.
Sweet potatoes love heat, so the variety you choose matters more here than in warmer countries. This guide compares the varieties sold as slips in the UK, so you can pick the right ones for your garden. For planting and growing, the guide on how to grow sweet potatoes in the UK takes you step by step.
Sweet potato varieties compared
Here are the main varieties sold as slips in the UK. Slips are young, leafy cuttings, and they’re how sweet potatoes are usually sold.
| Variety | Skin | Flesh | Season | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beauregard | Copper-orange | Deep orange | Main | Reliable crops under cover |
| Bonita | Pale tan | Cream-white | Early | Short seasons, baking |
| T65 | Purple-red | Pale yellow-cream | Early | Cooler areas, outdoor beds |
| Evangeline | Rose-pink | Deep orange | Main | Flavour |
| Carolina Ruby | Deep red | Orange | Main | Very sweet roasting |
| Erato Orange | Pale orange | Orange | Main | Under cover |
| Murasaki | Dark purple | White | Late | Nutty flavour, colour |
“Early” means the tubers swell sooner, so they cope better with a short British summer. Late varieties really need the extra warmth of a polytunnel or greenhouse.
Beauregard: the reliable all-rounder
Beauregard is the variety most UK suppliers sell, and the best one to start with. It has copper skin and deep orange flesh with a sweet, soft texture.
Under cover it is a dependable cropper, giving several good-sized tubers per plant. Outdoors it can still crop in a warm year, but expect a much smaller harvest. It also cures and stores well, so you can eat your crop well into winter.
Beauregard has the classic copper skin and bright orange flesh. It’s the one most people picture when they think of sweet potatoes.
Best sweet potato varieties for growing outdoors
T65 and Bonita are the best varieties to try in an open bed. Both are on the early side and cope better with a cool British summer.
T65 sets lots of smaller tubers rather than a few big ones. They are handy for roasting whole. It is a popular choice for allotments and northern gardens.
Bonita has pale tan skin and cream flesh. It is drier and fluffier than Beauregard, a bit like a cross between a sweet potato and a baking potato.
To give outdoor plants the best chance:
- Choose the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have, ideally against a south-facing wall
- Lay black plastic over the bed a few weeks before planting to warm the soil
- Plant through slits in the plastic in late May or June, once frosts have passed
- Cover young plants with fleece on cold nights
- Water well in dry spells, especially while the plants settle in
The guide to protecting plants from frost has more ideas for chilly late-spring nights.
Slips that arrive limp perk up in a jar of water on a bright windowsill. Pot them up once fresh roots appear.
Best sweet potato varieties for a polytunnel or greenhouse
Under cover, almost any variety will crop. This is the place to grow the main-season and late varieties that struggle outdoors.
Beauregard is still the safe choice for the biggest harvest. Evangeline is the one to grow for flavour. It has rose-pink skin and very sweet, deep orange flesh, and the tubers tend to be an even size.
Erato Orange has pale orange skin and orange flesh with a mild, sweet flavour. Its thin skin bruises easily, so lift it gently.
Sweet potato vines spread a long way, so give each plant plenty of room or train the stems up strings. The guide to polytunnel productivity helps you fit them in among tomatoes and cucumbers.
In a polytunnel, sweet potato vines romp away by midsummer. A straw mulch keeps the soil moist and the weeds down.
Sweetest and most unusual sweet potato varieties
If you grow for flavour, Evangeline and Carolina Ruby are two of the sweetest. Carolina Ruby has deep red skin and dense orange flesh that roasts beautifully.
Murasaki has dark purple skin and white flesh with a nutty, chestnut-like flavour. It is drier than orange-fleshed types and holds its shape in stews. It is a late variety, so it is best in a polytunnel or greenhouse.
Every sweet potato gets sweeter after curing and a few weeks in store. So don’t judge the flavour on the day you dig them up.
Cut them open and the differences are clear: orange Beauregard, creamy Bonita and white Murasaki under its purple skin.
How many varieties should you grow?
Grow two or three if you have room. Varieties react differently to a hot or cool summer, so a mix spreads the risk.
A good starter mix is Beauregard for a dependable crop, plus T65 or Bonita for an early harvest. If you have a polytunnel, add Evangeline or Murasaki for flavour and colour.
Slips are sold in spring by UK seed companies and usually arrive in April or May. Popular and unusual varieties can sell out, so order in winter. Pot them up or plant them out soon after they arrive.
Sweet potato growing calendar
| Month | What to do |
|---|---|
| January to February | Choose varieties and order slips |
| March to April | Warm the soil with black plastic. Prepare beds or tubs under cover |
| April to May | Slips arrive. Pot them up and keep them warm and bright indoors |
| Late May to June | Plant out under cover, or outdoors once frosts have passed |
| June to August | Water regularly and give a high-potash feed every couple of weeks |
| September to October | Lift tubers before the first frost blackens the leaves |
| October | Cure in a warm place for about a week |
| November to March | Store at about 13-15°C and eat through the winter |
In cooler northern areas, plant out a couple of weeks later and lift by late September.
Push the fork in well away from the plant and lever gently. Sweet potato skins are thin and bruise easily when freshly dug.
Curing and storing your harvest
Cure sweet potatoes before storing them, whichever variety you grow. Keep them somewhere warm and humid, such as an airing cupboard, for about a week. This toughens the skin and heals small knocks.
Then store them at about 13-15°C, somewhere like a spare room. Never put them in the fridge or a cold shed. Cold damages the flesh and stops them keeping. The guide to storing root vegetables over winter covers good storage spots around the house.
Spread the tubers out in a single layer so they don’t touch. Once cured, they keep for months somewhere warm and dry.
Common mistakes when choosing sweet potatoes
- Growing late varieties outdoors in the north. Murasaki and Carolina Ruby need a long, warm season. Grow them under cover, or choose T65 or Bonita.
- Planting out too early. Cold nights check growth for weeks. Wait until late May or June.
- Growing just one variety. A cool summer can flatten a single crop. Two or three varieties spread the risk.
- Skipping the cure. Uncured tubers don’t keep as well. A week somewhere warm makes a big difference.
- Storing them cold. Sweet potatoes are not like ordinary potatoes. A cold garage spoils them.
If you’re after a reliable spud for cooler beds, the guide to the best potato varieties covers earlies, salads and maincrops. For more crops to grow, see the growing veg hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best sweet potato variety for UK gardens?
Beauregard is the best all-rounder for most UK growers. It is widely sold, crops well under cover and has sweet orange flesh. For outdoor beds or northern gardens, T65 or Bonita are safer choices.
Can sweet potatoes grow outdoors in the UK?
Yes, in a warm summer and a sunny, sheltered spot. Crops are usually much lighter than under cover. Choose T65 or Bonita, plant through black plastic to warm the soil, and protect young plants with fleece on cold nights.
Which sweet potato variety is the sweetest?
Evangeline and Carolina Ruby are two of the sweetest. Both have deep orange flesh. All sweet potatoes get sweeter after curing and a few weeks in storage, whatever the variety.
Is there a sweet potato with white flesh?
Yes, Bonita and Murasaki both have pale flesh. Bonita has tan skin and a drier, fluffier texture. Murasaki has dark purple skin and a nutty flavour.
What is the difference between Beauregard and Bonita sweet potatoes?
Beauregard has orange flesh; Bonita has cream-white flesh and a drier texture. Beauregard is the sweeter, heavier cropper under cover. Bonita is a little quicker, which helps in a short season.
How should I store home-grown sweet potatoes?
Cure them somewhere warm for a week, then store at about 13-15°C. Curing toughens the skin so they keep for months. Never store them in the fridge or a cold shed, as cold damages the flesh.
Thinking of more cover for heat-loving crops? Read whether polytunnels are worth it before you buy.
Our team produces practical UK gardening guidance from source research, contributor records and established horticultural practice. Editorial standards are overseen by Matt W.
