Sweet Potato Varieties (10+ Varieties You Should Know About)

Sweet potatoes come in all shapes and sizes – some of them are surprising! They are also a good source of healthy carbs, and you can grow them in warm weather if you have the space.

So, what are the sweet potato varieties you should know about? Some sweet potato varieties you might like to try include All Purple, Beauregard, Becca’s Purple, Bonita, Bush Porto Rico, Carolina Ruby, Centennial, Covington, Diane, Georgia Jet, Hayman, Hernandez, Mahon Yam, Murasaki, O’Henry, Red Japanese, Vardaman, and White Yam.

Of course, there are many sweet potato varieties to choose from – far too many to list them all here.

In this article, we’ll list some sweet potatoes of various colors. We’ll also look at the details on how long they take to mature, how big they get, and where to find them.

Let’s get started.

Sweet Potato Varieties

Sweet potatoes have a unique sweet flavor, and many come in interesting shapes. They also come in many different colors, including red, pink, orange, yellow, white, and purple, so you can probably find a variety that appeals to you.

purple and white sweet potatoes — You can find sweet potatoes that are red, pink, orange, yellow, white, and purple. Sometimes, the flesh is a much different color than the skin!

The following table summarizes several sweet potato varieties along with their skin color, flesh color, and days to maturity.

Sweet Potato Variety	Color (Skin/ Flesh)	Days To Maturity
All Purple	Purple/ Purple	120
Beauregard	Copper/ Orange	90
Becca’s Purple	Purple/ Purple	110
Bonita	Pale Pink/ White	90
Bush Porto Rico	Copper/ Light Orange	110
Carolina Ruby	Reddish Purple/ Dark Orange	100
Centennial	Orange Tan/ Orange	90
Covington	Copper Rose/ Orange	90
Diane	Dark Red/ Deep Orange	110
Georgia Jet	Tan/ Deep Orange	100
Hayman	Pale Tan/ White	100
Hernandez	Light Red/ Orange	120
Mahon Yam	Deep Pink/ Dark Orange	90
Murasaki	Deep Purple/ White	105
O’Henry	Tan/ Light Gold	100
Red Japanese	Reddish Purple/ White	95
Vardaman	Golden Yellow/ Reddish Orange	100
White Yam	Light Tan/ Light Yellow	100

The table above summarizes several
sweet potato varieties along with their
skin color, flesh color, and days to maturity.

Here is some more information on each of the varieties in the table above (including where to find them):

All Purple Sweet Potato

The All Purple sweet potato has dark purple skin and purple flesh. It is a traditional Japanese variety.

bright purple sweet potatoes — Some sweet potatoes have purple skin. Some (such as All Purple) also have purple flesh!

It takes 120 days to grow to maturity, but it is worth the wait for the brilliant purple tubers you will get.

You can learn more about All Purple sweet potatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Beauregard Sweet Potato

The Beauregard sweet potato has copper skin and orange flesh.

orange sweet potatoes — Here are some sweet potato colors we are very familiar with: tan or copper skin with orange flesh (such as we see on Beauregard).

It is an early maturing variety, taking only 90 days to grow to maturity. This makes it ideal for northern gardeners who have shorter growing seasons.

It grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

You can learn more about Beauregard sweet potatoes from Gurney’s.

Becca’s Purple Sweet Potato

Becca’s Purple sweet potato has purple skin and purple flesh. They are sweeter than other purple-flesh sweet potatoes.

It takes 110 days to grow to maturity, so you will get purple tubers a little sooner than “All Purple” sweet potatoes.

You can learn more about Becca’s Purple sweet potatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Bonita Sweet Potato

The Bonita sweet potato has pale pinkish-tan (almost white) skin and pale yellow (almost white) flesh. It is a very sweet variety that keeps well.

It is an early maturing variety, taking only 90 days to grow to maturity. This makes it ideal for northern gardeners who have shorter growing seasons.

You can learn more about Bonita sweet potatoes from Seeds N’ Such.

Bush Porto Rico Sweet Potato

The Bush Porto Rico sweet potato has copper skin and light orange flesh that is very sweet and good for baking. The plants are compact bushes.

It takes 110 days to grow to maturity.

It grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

You can learn more about Bush Porto Rico sweet potatoes from Gurney’s.

Carolina Ruby Sweet Potato

The Carolina Ruby sweet potato has pale purplish-red skin and dark orange flesh. This plant comes from the North Caroline Agricultural Research Service, and it offers high yields with resistance to both Fusarium wilt and soil rot.

purple red sweet potatoes 2 — Purplish-red is a very common color for sweet potato skins. Carolina Ruby has pale purplish-red skin.

It takes 100 days to grow to maturity, and it stores well.

You can learn more about Carolina Ruby sweet potatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Centennial Sweet Potato

The Centennial sweet potato has orange-tan skin and orange flesh that is very sweet and good for baking. The plants offer high yields.

It is an early maturing variety, taking only 90 days to grow to maturity. This makes it ideal for northern gardeners who have shorter growing seasons.

It grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8.

You can learn more about Centennial sweet potatoes from Gurney’s.

Covington Sweet Potato

The Covington sweet potato has copper-rose skin and orange flesh. It produces high yields of uniform roots with a long storage time.

It is an early maturing variety, taking only 90 days to grow to maturity. This makes it ideal for northern gardeners who have shorter growing seasons.

It grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

You can learn more about Covington sweet potatoes from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Diane Sweet Potato

The Diane sweet potato has pale dark red skin and deep orange flesh. It is a “yam-type” sweet potato due to its moist flesh.

It takes 110 days to grow to maturity, and it can produce well in areas with a long warm season.

You can learn more about Diane sweet potatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Georgia Jet Sweet Potato

The Georgia Jet sweet potato has tan skin and deep orange flesh. It is great for baking.

sweet potatoes tan — Many sweet potatoes, such as Georgia Jet, have tan skin (along with orange flesh).

It takes 100 days to grow to maturity. It works for both northern and southern gardens.

It grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

You can learn more about Georgia Jet sweet potatoes from Gurney’s.

Hayman Sweet Potato

The Hayman sweet potato has pale tan skin and white flesh (turns slightly yellow after cooking). The plant produces large, uniform tubers.

It takes 100 days to grow to maturity. It is an heirloom variety from Eastern Shore Maryland.

You can learn more about Hayman sweet potatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Hernandez Sweet Potato

The Hernandez sweet potato has light red skin and orange flesh that is very sweet and moist. The plant has high yields, and you may get one or more “jumbo” tubers per plant.

It takes 120 days to grow to maturity, so you will have to wait a bit longer for this one!

You can learn more about Hernandez sweet potatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Mahon Yam Sweet Potato

The Mahon Yam sweet potato has deep pink skin and dark orange flesh. It is very sweet, and the plant yields uniform tubers that store well.

It is an early maturing variety, taking only 90 days to grow to maturity. This makes it ideal for northern gardeners who have shorter growing seasons.

You can learn more about Mahon Yam sweet potatoes from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Murasaki Sweet Potato

The Murasaki sweet potato has deep purple skin and white flesh. It has a unique sweet and nutty flavor.

dark purple sweet potatoes — The Murasaki sweet potato variety has deep purple skin and white flesh.

It takes 105 days to grow to maturity.

It grows in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.

You can learn more about Murasaki sweet potatoes from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

O’Henry Sweet Potato

The O’Henry sweet potato has tan skin and light gold flesh. Its flavor has a hint of honey and nuts.

It takes 100 days to grow to maturity. The plants produce heavy yields that are easy to harvest.

It grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

You can learn more about O’Henry sweet potatoes from Gurney’s.

Red Japanese Sweet Potato

The Red Japanese sweet potato has deep reddish-purple skin and white flesh that is dry and sweet. The plant is vigorous and resists disease, and they produce well.

It takes only 95 days to grow to maturity, so you can grow it in northern regions with a shorter growing season.

You can learn more about Red Japanese sweet potatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.