Here comes the weekend !

and more rain .. poo I'm over the rain I want sunshine and 72 degrees please !!


Oktoberfest 2009 Cherry & Beth


I was really surprised that so many of you have never seen Air potatoes. Mary Delle asked for a little more information so I went straight to The Georgia Gardner ~ Mr. Walter Reeves . I was surprised to learn that he says you can eat the air potatoes.

I had been told that it was poisonous and if you Google you will see that even the University of Florida says parts of the plant are poisonous .

Personally ~ I' m more of a big fat Irish tator covered in butter, sour cream & chives or how about a Sweet tator fried or baked with a little honey butter and my all time favorite tiny new potato any way you want to cook them... yummy ... now that's the kinda tator girl I am .. lol

here's a little info from Mr Reeves

Air Potato

Q: I have a problem with a lovely but horribly invasive vine that grows little potatoes on its stem. It sprouts and spreads like a demon - nearly taking over a 3 acre lot! What is it and what can I do about it?

A: Most folks afflicted with this pest call it “Tater Vine” or “Air Potato”. It is actually a variety of yam, scientifically identified as Dioscorea bulbifera. The glossy green leaves are certainly ornamental but the vine’s intrusive nature has placed it very near the top of Florida’s Invasive Plant list. I don’t know why it is not a worse pest here but we can all be thankful for small favors.

Like kudzu, air potato has a large starchy root. The root stores plenty of energy for re-sprouting if the leaves are cut off. A systemic weed killer like glyphosate (Roundup) or triclopyr (Brush Killer, Brush-B-Gon) would give you fair results immediately but you’ll need to re-apply the herbicide every time the leaves reappear. This will be quite a chore on a three acre landscape. You will have to protect other plants from the chemical spray but I think this is the best choice you have.

MORE INFORMATION

Air Potato


Air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is another non-native, invasive vine in Florida. Covered with large handsome leaves, it can quickly grow 60-70 feet in length, which is long enough to overtop (and shade-out) tall trees. A member of the yam family (Dioscoreaceae), air potato produces large numbers of aerial tubers, potato-like growths attached to the stems. These grow into new plants.

Dioscorea species are cultivated for their edible underground tubers in West Africa where they are important commodities. Uncultivated forms (as in Florida) however are reported to be bitter and even poisonous. Dioscorea varieties, containing the steroid diosgenin, are a principal material used in the manufacture of birth-control pills. Air potato is believed to have been introduced into Florida as an ornamental and a food plant in about 1905. By the early 1970s it was already recognized as a pest plant throughout the state.


Q: Can air potato ‘taters be eaten?

A: A search of the Internet revealed that they are eaten, steamed or boiled, in Hawaii and Panama but no notes on preparation were found. A few weeks ago, a reader sent in his recipe for cooking the ‘taters with rice, which seems safe enough in small quantities. Eat them if you must..... and while you enjoy them, remember that kudzu can be a dining delight as well.


Q: I have been growing for several years the “air potato” plant you wrote about recently. I grow mine on a fence so the bulblets don’t spread throughout the neighborhood. The tiny “potatoes” are edible and quite good if put into rice near the end of the cooking process (about five minutes seems fine). It is important to harvest as many of the bulblets as possible to reduce the number of additional plants next year.

A: Bon Appetit!
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Hope everyone has big plans for a fun weekend !!!
Oh and isn't Beth a cute looking little Bavarian .. lol

One more thing ~ Good morning daddy I love you with all heart ..
P.S. don't forget you are going to be frying me up some sweet tators tomorrow night !! and a big hug to cousin Donna glad you are enjoy my blog


hugs and happy weekend ya'll, Cherry

9 comments

  1. Thanks for posting the info. on the air potato. I learned something new! The first pic is so cute and funny! -Jackie

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  2. The picture is cute, the story is scary, just right for Halloween. I hope that monster doesn't grow here in the NW! Have a great weekend Cherry and enjoy those tators!

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  3. Hello Cherry,

    Thank you for the additional info about Air Potatoes. But, I am with you....I would rather eat an Idaho potato with lots of butter.

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  4. LOL, Cherry...I've never heard of this spud before! Thanks for the nice comment on my Fall post ;)

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  5. Well, I have learned some things about the air potato.

    I love Savanna, that is what pulled me to your blog.

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  6. Hi Cherry, Add me to the list of people who did not know what an air potato was. LOL
    But yours are beautiful.
    I also loved reading the story of your corvette, isn't it great to have such sweet and thoughtful husbands?
    I want to thank you for coming by and visiting me and for letting me know what that first plant was, and for leaving such a sweet comment. I am so good at buying an unfamiliar plant and not remembering it. lol
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  7. I have this plant in my garden, and my husband is going to see to it that we always have it! He keeps planting the little potatoes!

    The leaves are pretty, but I wouldn't want to eat those potatoes!

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  8. Most interesting post. Never heard of them before.

    Have a wonderful, warm week. TTFN ~Marydon

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  9. Very interesting. I'd never heard of this plant before. You all seem to have a lot of invasive plants there--probably because of good growing conditions. About the only thing invasive here is Bermuda grass!
    Aiyana

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Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. It is so much fun to read everyone's thoughts on my ramblings .. I love to go blog hopping so look for me to be visiting you soon.
hugs, Cherry

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