Irish Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Also known as: Nightshade
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Genus:
- Solanum
- Species:
- Solanum tuberosum
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Subshrub
- Height:
- 3-4 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, white
- Food Forest:
- Plant contains edible parts
Native Range
United States: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island
Host Plant for Caterpillars
African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta), Agrotis orthogonia, Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), Army cutworm (Euxoa auxiliaris), banana moth (Opogona sacchari), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), Beet Webworm (Loxostege sticticalis), Bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata), Black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), Burdock Borer (Papaipema cataphracta), Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), Cacao moth (Ephestia elutella), clover cutworm (Agrotis gladiaria), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), Deterred Dart (Euxoa detersa), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), Eggplant fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis), Eggplant Webworm Moth (Rhectocraspeda periusalis), European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), Euxoa albipennis, Euxoa declarata, Euxoa ochrogaster, Euxoa tessellata, Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Five-spotted hawk moth (Manduca quinquemaculatus), flax tortrix (Cnephasia asseclana), Greater Red Dart (Abagrotis alternata), Hydraecia medialis, Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba), Mexican leafroller (Amorbia emigratella), Potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella), rascal dart moth (Agrotis malefida), Riley's clearwing moth (Synanthedon rileyana), root collar borer (Euzophera ostricolorella), rosy rustic (Hydraecia micacea), Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea), Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum), South American tomato pinworm (Symmetrischema tangolias), Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), Soybean Looper (Pseudoplusia includens), speckled cutworm (Lacanobia subjuncta), spotted beet webworm moth (Hymenia perspectalis), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), Tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), tomato pinworm (Keiferia lycopersicella), True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea), Udea profundalis, underworld dart (Agrotis subterranea), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), Western yellowstriped armyworm (Spodoptera praefica), Yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli), zebra caterpillar moth (Melanchra picta), Tmolus echion
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Bombus impatiens (Bombus impatiens), Bombus impatiens (Bombus impatiens)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to Andean regions with fertile volcanic soils