Solanum tuberosum 'Blue Danube'

RHS Plant Profile
potato 'Blue Danube'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Solanum tuberosum 'Blue Danube'?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
potato 'Blue Danube' Potato House / RHS

Synonyms

Solanum tuberosum 'Sarpo Blue Danube'

Annual Biennial
Thank you - your purchase supports our charity work Buy this from RHS Plants Shop
Buy online from £6.99Buy this from Plant Nurseries
3 Suppliers

A bushy perennial grown as an annual vegetable for its edible tubers. A fast-growing, early maincrop potato ready to lift in the autumn, with purple-black stems, dark, glossy green foliage and pretty purple flowers. The blue-skinned, white-fleshed, well-shaped tubers are perfect for roasting (some say 'the best roast potato ever'). Shows good resistance to blight and potato viruses

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H2

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Solanaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy, Clump forming
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eatenexcept potato crop. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs): Harmful if eatenexcept potato crop - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Solanum can be annuals, perennials, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or twining climbers, with simple or pinnnately lobed leaves and star- or bowl-shaped, 5-lobed flowers with prominent stamens, followed by fleshy fruits
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moisture-retentive soil for high quality and heavy yields. Improve soil by adding organic matter in autumn. Draw earth up around the stems as they emerge, to exclude light and prevent the potatoes from becoming green. Water well in dry periods. Potatoes can also be grown in large containers or potato gro-bags. See potato cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Grow from certified seed potatoes

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Patio and container plants

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to cutworms, slugs, wireworms, leaf and bud eelworm, Potato cyst nematodes

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), Potato scab and Potato blight and may be susceptible to Potato rot, Potato blackleg and stem canker