Solanum tuberosum

Il nome botanico della patata — una solanaceo andina coltivata in tutto il mondo per i suoi tuberi ricchi di amido, dalle varietà cerose da insalata a quelle farinose da forno.

Solanum tuberosum — the potato

Solanum tuberosum is the botanical name for the potato, a tender perennial in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) grown the world over for its starchy, swollen tubers. It is the species behind our potatoes & tubers range within the wider vegetable collection.

History & origin

The potato was first domesticated thousands of years ago high in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, where Indigenous farmers selected countless varieties suited to cold, thin mountain air. Spanish explorers carried it to Europe in the 16th century, where it was at first treated with suspicion before becoming one of the most important staple crops on the continent.

The species name tuberosum simply means "bearing tubers," while Solanum is the large genus it shares with the tomato, pepper and aubergine. Its rise reshaped European diets and history alike — a reminder of how much one humble tuber can matter.

Botanical characteristics

Solanum tuberosum is a sprawling, soft-stemmed plant that produces its crop underground: the edible "potatoes" are swollen stem tubers, not roots. Above ground it bears divided leaves and clusters of white, pink or purple star-shaped flowers, sometimes followed by small green fruits that — like the leaves and green tubers — are toxic and should never be eaten. Tubers range from waxy salad types to floury bakers, in skins of yellow, red, blue and purple.

Growing Solanum tuberosum from seed

While potatoes are usually grown from seed tubers rather than true seed, the principles are the same: plant into loose, fertile soil once the worst frosts have passed, then "earth up" the stems as they grow to protect developing tubers from light and frost. Keep them watered as the tubers swell, and lift earlies young or maincrops once the foliage dies back. Our vegetable growing guide covers the essentials, and the vegetable sowing calendar shows the planting and harvest windows.

Ready to grow your own? Browse the range or read up first.

Related categories: Potatoes & Tubers · Root Vegetables · Tomato · Pepper · All Vegetables

At SeedsChoice, every order ships from Meppel, NL with fast, tracked EU delivery.

Cosa significa Solanum tuberosum?
È il nome scientifico della patata. Solanum è il genere delle solanacee che condivide con il pomodoro e il peperone, mentre tuberosum significa "che produce tuberi". La patata è imparentata con il pomodoro?
Sì — entrambe appartengono al genere Solanum nella famiglia delle solanacee, insieme a peperoni e melanzane, ed è per questo che i loro fiori si assomigliano tanto. Alcune parti della pianta di patata sono velenose?
Sì. Le foglie, gli steli, i frutti e i tuberi verdi o germogliati contengono solanina, una sostanza tossica, e non devono mai essere consumati. Solo i tuberi sodi e integri sono commestibili. Le patate si coltivano da seme o da tubero?
Vengono quasi sempre coltivate da patate-seme (piccoli tuberi) piuttosto che da seme botanico vero e proprio, il che permette di mantenere ogni varietà fedele al tipo originale.