# Potato (*Potato phytoplasma*)

Potatoes are tasty vegetables that grow underground. They come in different colors like brown, red, or purple. People like to eat them in many ways, like mashed, fried, or baked.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Farms
- **Also known as:** Spud, Tater

![Potato](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sweetpotatoelittleleaf.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Million Moments, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweetpotatoelittleleaf.JPG)

## Appearance

The Potato plant has bushy green foliage above ground, with oval to pointed leaves. Its small flowers can be white, pink, or purple. Below ground, it forms edible tubers, which are typically brown, red, or purple-skinned, with starchy flesh.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Solanales
- **Family:** Solanaceae
- **Genus:** Solanum

## Interesting facts

- A single potato has enough energy to power a clock for weeks or even months!
- Potatoes are actually swollen underground stems, not roots!
- The Incas used potatoes to treat injuries and even predict the weather!
- The potato was the first vegetable ever grown in space by NASA astronauts!

## Special abilities

- **Underground Energy Stores:** Potato has special underground stems called tubers that store energy, helping it survive harsh conditions and regrow.
- **Easy Sprouting:** Potato can grow new plants from its 'eyes' on tubers, allowing it to quickly multiply without needing seeds.
- **Natural Protector:** Potato produces natural toxins in its leaves and green parts to protect itself from hungry pests and animals.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-100 cm
- **Spread:** 45-75 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [Colorado potato beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/colorado-potato-beetle) (*Leptinotarsa decemlineata*) — Larvae and adults devour potato leaves.
- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Parasitizes:** late blight (*Phytophthora infestans*) — A water mold causing devastating potato disease.
- **Eats:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — The most widely consumed vegetable globally.

## Traits

- [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates.
- [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
- [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)
- [Vegetables](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/vegetables)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash and cook potatoes before eating to make sure they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Potato?

Compare leaves, stems, flowers, pods and the part you eat. Seedlings can look like unrelated garden plants until their mature leaves come in. Vegetable Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Potato?

60-100 cm

### How wide does Potato spread?

45-75 cm

### How big are the flowers on Potato?

2-3 cm

### When does Potato bloom?

Summer

### Is Potato edible?

Yes

### Is Potato toxic?

Mild

### What is Potato's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Botanischer Volkspark Blankenfelde-Pankow](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanischer-volkspark-blankenfelde-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Potato: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/potato)