potato plants - Ask Extension
my potato bushes are producing clumps of round items that resemble tomatoes - they have little white seeds inside. These are red and white potatoes -...
Knowledgebase
potato plants #211569
Asked September 09, 2014, 2:38 PM EDT
my potato bushes are producing clumps of round items that resemble tomatoes - they have little white seeds inside. These are red and white potatoes - any ideas.
Clatsop County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi there,
What you are seeing is the true fruit of the potato plant. These fruit are not the result of cross-pollination with tomatoes. Normally, most potato flowers dry up and fall off the plants without setting fruit. A few flowers do produce fruit. The variety 'Yukon Gold' produces fruit more heavily than most varieties.The potato fruit are of no value to the gardener. Potato fruit, as well as the plant itself, contain relatively large amounts of solanine. Solanine is a poisonous alkaloid so the small fruit should not be eaten.
Thanks for using Ask an Expert,
What you are seeing is the true fruit of the potato plant. These fruit are not the result of cross-pollination with tomatoes. Normally, most potato flowers dry up and fall off the plants without setting fruit. A few flowers do produce fruit. The variety 'Yukon Gold' produces fruit more heavily than most varieties.The potato fruit are of no value to the gardener. Potato fruit, as well as the plant itself, contain relatively large amounts of solanine. Solanine is a poisonous alkaloid so the small fruit should not be eaten.
Thanks for using Ask an Expert,
