Growing Coloured & Unusual Potato Types

Looking to add some excitement to your potato patch? With a wealth of coloured, knobbly, and rare varieties available, you can grow spuds in shades of purple, blue, red, or pink—and enjoy unique flavors, textures, and health benefits.

Why Grow Coloured or Specialty Potatoes?

• Eye-Catching Harvests:
  Impress friends and family with purple, pink, or “rainbow” potatoes.
• Nutritional Boost:
  Deeper colored spuds often contain more antioxidants (like anthocyanins).
• Taste & Texture:
  Some have chestnutty, earthy, or nutty flavors—as well as waxy or floury textures not found in standard varieties.
• Fun for Kids:
  Great for engaging children in the garden and at the dinner table.

Popular Coloured & Unusual Varieties

• Purple & Blue:
  ‘Purple Majesty’, ‘Blue Danube’, ‘Vitelotte’.
• Red & Pink:
  ‘Pink Fir Apple’, ‘Red Duke of York’, ‘Rosabelle’.
• Multi-Colored or Streaked:
  ‘Shetland Black’ (purple skin, white flesh with a blue ring), ‘Salad Blue’, ‘Cara’ (pink eyes).
• Knobbly or Fingerling Types:
  ‘Pink Fir Apple’, ‘Ratte’, ‘Russian Banana’—long, narrow, and richly flavored.

How to Grow

• Exactly like ordinary potatoes:
  Plant, earth up, water, and feed following standard potato guides.
• Containers & Raised Beds:
  Perfect for smaller trial crops or for showing off colorful spuds.

Cooking & Eating Coloured Potatoes

• Best steamed, roasted, or used in salads to showcase their colors.
• Some types hold color better when boiled or microwaved than roasted.
• Purple varieties make stunning chips, mash, or even crisps.

Tips for Growing Success

• Buy seed potatoes from reputable sources—rare types sometimes have lower vigor.
• See if your favorite can be grown as a first early, second early, or maincrop (label will indicate).
• Note: Some colored potatoes yield slightly less than mainstream types—plant a few extra for a good crop.

Saving and Replanting

• Save the best tubers for seed to maintain and gradually adapt unusual types to your garden’s conditions.