Ipomoea batatas `Sweet Caroline Red` has very distinct coloration; new shoots are yellow-green in color and transition to a dark burgundy-red color when mature. The stems and petioles of the mature plant are also dark burgundy-red in color. The leaves are large, palmately lobed and veined. `Sweet Caroline Red` has a moderately compact growth habit and is a low, mounding-to-trailing plant with an overall oval shape that is suitable for use as a ground cover or in containerized landscape settings. The plant also has excellent vigor.