I find potato flowers very interesting and pretty. My Russets have a pinkish color and the Red Norlands are white. They seem to be blooming early this year. I don't think mine bloomed until late June last year.
Potatoes are in the family Solanaceae and their flowers resemble tomato, eggplant, pepper, chili and Petunia flowers. Flowers are funnel shaped, with five fused petals. The stamens are present in multiples of four. The ovaries are superior. The hypogynus gynoecium is a syncarp located obliquely in relation to the median! What do you know!
potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
I was just going to say that they look exaktly like tomato flowers. You might have some potatoes allready? Have found your blog again and put it on my bloglist, hope it´s OK?
ReplyDeleteIngela
gardenofingela
Thanks for putting me on your bloglist Ingela. I love the photos on your blog.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful. I love it when a plant I like to eat has flowers that add beauty to the garden.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the weird weather - we're having the same. It's still relatively cool and very wet here, which is great for my peas but the tomatoes are just sitting around waiting for summer to arrive.
I love potatoe flowers too, the first time I grew Charlottes at home I was amazed at how fragrant the flowers are.
ReplyDeleteMarian (LondonUK)
I never thought to smell them. I'm looking forward to sniffing next time I go by.
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your potato flowers! They're so pretty. I am definitely going to plant potatoes next year. I'm brainstorming how to set up their potato bins. I might just stack up stones around them as they grow :D
I love the line, "the ovaries are superior" -- I know it's botany, but it's so politically lovely, too. I need to write more poems. Thanks for your beautiful flowers and photos. We are very proud of Alex here in CA and looking forward to seeing your "rents".
ReplyDeleteJennifer
Still waiting for my potatoes to flower, we have buds so it wont be long.
ReplyDeletePretty! Do you ever try and grow potatoes from the seed pods? Someone told me they look just like tomatoes! I'm going to try and breed a new potato using seeds!!!! Now if only it would rain!
ReplyDeleteOh how neat, I have never seen potato flowers before. Mine have not begun to flower yet and the two varieties are quite staggered in their growth which makes sense I guess since only variety is 'early'. Do you like to harvest them as new potatoes?
ReplyDelete