Irish Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Also known as: Nightshade
- Native to:
- Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Genus:
- Solanum
- Species:
- Solanum tuberosum
- USDA Symbol:
- SOTU
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Subshrub
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- white, pink, purple, lavender
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
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), 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), 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)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees
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
Propagation & Germination
- Notes:
- Propagated vegetatively via tubers rather than true seed; true potato seed requires light for germination and has erratic germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI