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Solanaceae
Potato Flower
Solanum tuberosum
Humble sustenance.
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Genus
- Solanum
- Native to
- Peru, Bolivia, South America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 1-3 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- loose, well-drained, slightly acidic
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-10
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- Marie Antoinette wore potato flowers in her hair as a fashion accessory to promote potato cultivation among skeptical French peasants.
- The flowers can produce small green fruits that resemble cherry tomatoes but are highly toxic due to solanine content.
- Potato flowers self-pollinate, but bumblebees use 'buzz pollination' on them, vibrating at a specific frequency to release pollen.
- Over 4,000 edible potato varieties exist worldwide, each producing slightly different colored flowers.
- When potatoes were first introduced to Europe in the 1500s, they were grown as ornamental plants for their flowers before anyone ate the tubers.
Color meanings
0
benevolence
1
generosity
2
nourishment