Can you eat sweet potatoes that have grown roots?
Similarly one may ask, can you eat potato growing roots?
Potatoes are safe to eat, even after they've sprouted, so long as they are still firm to the touch and they don't look too wrinkly and shriveled. Most of the nutrients are still intact in a firm, sprouted potato. Just remove the sprouts (and any soft spots) and your potato should be fine to use.
Correspondingly, can sweet potatoes be poisonous?
While sweet potatoes can safely be eaten raw, certain types of yams are only safe to eat when cooked. Naturally occurring plant proteins found in yams can be toxic and cause illness if consumed raw. Summary: Sweet potatoes contain oxalates that can increase the risk of kidney stones.
Some common traits of bad sweet potatoes are discoloration and growths through the skin. They will begin to get soft and wet (water will leak out) and then turn brown and/or black. If part of the sweet potato goes bad, the whole potato should be thrown out as the flavor is affected.