Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Also called Potatoes and Spuds
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitEarth them up as they grow. Any tuber that sees daylight turns green, and green means poisonous.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 4 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Every 21 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Tender — no frost at all RHS H2, to 1°C
- Size
- 0.75 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- Andean South America
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, drowsiness and a slowed heart rate.
PeopleHarmful if eaten
Leaves, stems, and green or sprouting tubers. Safe to eat: tubers that are not green, cooked.
Checked against ASPCA, RHS and Clemson HGIC on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Dark brown blotches with a pale yellow-green halo at the leaf tips and margins after two warm humid days, with a white mould on the underside in the morning.Potato blight · disease
- One stem in the row yellows and topples while its neighbours stand, and its base is black and slimy at soil level.Potato blackleg · disease
- Small round holes low on the leaves and slime on the soil surface through a wet summer — the keeled slug doing that above ground is the one boring the tubers below.Slugs · pest