Solanum tuberosum
Common name: Potato
Solanum tuberosum is a herbaceous perennial in the nightshade family, cultivated as an annual for its starchy underground tubers. Native to the Andes of South America, it was domesticated by indigenous peoples thousands of years ago and is now one of the world's most important food crops. The plant produces compound leaves and small white, pink, or purple flowers.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun
Water
Consistent moisture, about 2.5 cm (1 in) per week
Soil
Loose, slightly acidic, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Zones 3–10 (grown as a cool-season annual)
Mature height
45–90 cm (1.5–3 ft)
Pet safe
Green parts and sprouts are toxic if ingested
Difficulty
Moderate
Propagation
Propagated vegetatively from seed tubers. Cut tubers into pieces with at least one or two eyes each, let the cut surfaces dry for a day, then plant 10 cm deep in loose soil once frost danger has passed.
Fun facts
- Potatoes were the first vegetable grown in space, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1995.
- There are over 4,000 native potato varieties, most of them found in the Andes.
- Tubers exposed to light turn green and produce solanine, a natural toxin.
- The potato is a relative of the tomato, eggplant, and deadly nightshade.