Covington Sweet Potato

Covington sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas ‘Covington’) is one of the most popular modern orange-fleshed sweet potato cultivars — especially in the United States — known for its excellent eating quality, high yields, uniform shape, and good storage characteristics.

🌱 Origin & Development

• Breeding: Developed through traditional cross-breeding by North Carolina State University’s sweet potato breeding program and named after sweet potato researcher Henry M. Covington.
• Release: Officially released to commercial growers in 2005.
• Commercial importance: Quickly became the dominant commercial sweet potato variety in North Carolina and across the U.S., replacing older varieties like Beauregard in many regions because of its uniformity and storage performance.

🍠 Physical Characteristics

• Skin: Smooth rose-colored to copper-rose skin that is attractive and easy to peel
• Flesh: Deep orange, moist, and creamy interior with a naturally sweet flavor — rich in beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A).
• Shape: Uniform, blocky to fusiform (spindle-shaped) roots that are consistent in size — an advantage for both commercial packaging and home use.

🌾 Growing Traits

• Maturity: Typically 105–115 days from planting slips to harvest.
• Yield: Produces high yields with a large percentage of marketable “No. 1” roots due to its uniform development.
• Disease resistance: Resistant to fusarium wilt and shows moderate resistance to soil rot and root-knot nematodes, helping improve field performance and reduce losses.
• Growing conditions: Thrives in warm climates with long growing seasons and well-drained soils; typical of sweet potato cultivation.

🍽️ Culinary Qualities

• Texture: Moist, creamy, and smooth when cooked — ideal for a wide range of dishes.
• Flavor: Sweet and rich, with the sweetness concentrated during roasting or baking.
• Best uses:
  • Baking whole or in wedges
  • Roasting for caramelized edges
  • Mashing for side dishes or purees
  • Soups, stews, fries, and casseroles