Solanum jamesii aka Wild Potato

Solanum jamesii is a small perennial in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its common names include Colorado wild potato and wild potato. It comes from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Kew gives its range as Arizona to Colorado and northern Mexico. In Arizona, it grows in conifer woods. Recorded sites lie at 5,250–8,200 feet [1,600–2,500 metres] above sea level. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant reaches about 0.7 feet [0.2 metres] in height. It forms small, starch-rich tubers below ground. These range from pea-sized to walnut-sized, averaging about 0.1 feet [0.03 metres] across. The tubers form at root tips, which makes harvest awkward. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate the flowers. The supplied species records give no flower colour or bloom season.

Grow this wild potato in an open site without shade. It needs moist soil that drains well. It accepts several soil types but dislikes wet ground and heavy clay. Rich soil with plenty of organic matter gives better yields. It prefers slightly acid soil, though it tolerates neutral and mildly alkaline ground. Tubers can develop scab in lime-rich soil. Low levels of humus also raise this risk. Cultivated beds provide a place to grow this small plant.

Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11 but also calls the plant frost tender. In Britain, growers can lift the tubers for winter storage. Harvest them in autumn once frost has killed the top growth. Keep them cool and free from frost through winter. The source suggests planting stored tubers again in April. Seed offers another way to raise plants. Sow it in a warm greenhouse in early spring. Move seedlings into rich compost once large enough to handle. Plant them outdoors after the last expected frost.

The tubers have recorded food uses, both raw and cooked. Their bitter taste is strongest near the skin. They can keep for several months after harvest. Dried slices can be milled into flour for bread. Recorded Hopi uses include eating tubers with saline clay to reduce astringency. The source does not establish species-specific toxicity, so these uses do not prove general safety. It lists no known medicinal or other uses. It also reports no weed potential.