Blue potato bush

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

The blue potato bush (Lycianthes rantonnetii) is a tender evergreen shrub (1-3 m / 3-10 ft) with blue, potato-family flowers. It is not a houseplant, but it makes an excellent large-container plant for a sunny patio or balcony, and potting it lets you move it under cover to overwinter where winters are cold.

Quick Details

• Container Size: A roomy pot sized to the plant; pot up as the root ball fills
• Indoor Suitability: Not a houseplant – too light-hungry for a room; pot it mainly so it can be overwintered frost-free
• Best Spot: Full sun to half shade
• Soil & Drainage: Well-aerated, organic-rich mix (potting mix, or peat with perlite); must drain freely
• Watering in Pots: Average and evenly moist – pots dry faster than open ground; let water drain away

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Houseplant limits: Grown for its flowers, it needs strong sun and will not thrive deep indoors.
• Overwintering: This is the main reason to pot it – in cold climates move the container somewhere bright and frost-free over winter and water sparingly until growth restarts.
• Safety: Like other nightshades its berries and foliage are toxic if eaten – keep it away from children and pets.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & wind: Give it the sunniest spot; it can grow tall, so shelter it from strong wind and stake if needed. Walls and paving reflect heat, so pots dry quickly – check moisture daily in warm weather.
• Practicalities: A large filled pot is heavy – make sure the balcony can take the weight and that drainage runoff will not be a nuisance below.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: A roomy pot with strong drainage holes; skip a standing water saucer to avoid root rot. Terracotta breathes and dries faster, while glazed or plastic pots hold moisture longer.
• Potting mix: Aerated and organic-rich – potting mix, or peat with perlite.
• Feeding: Potted shrubs need feeding more often than those in the ground, as nutrients wash out with each watering – a balanced feed through the growing season.
• Repotting: Pot up as the roots fill the container, and every couple of years refresh the mix and lightly prune the root ball and top growth.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Spring, summer and autumn; nearly year-round in frost-free climates
• Time to First Bloom: Blooms freely once established, over a long warm season
• Flower Appearance: Purple to blue funnel-shaped flowers with a bright yellow centre
• Edibility: None – this is a nightshade; the berries and plant are poisonous, so no part should be eaten

Detailed Blooming Overview

The blue potato bush flowers almost continuously through warm weather, carrying loose clusters of violet-blue, yellow-eyed blooms much like small potato flowers. Bees work the flowers for pollen.

Flower Characteristics

• Funnel- to star-shaped flowers in purple to blue with a yellow centre.
• Produced over many months in warm weather.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Keeping it flowering: A light trim and removal of spent blooms keeps it tidy and encourages further flushes.
• Pollination: Worked by bees for pollen.
• Safety: The berries and foliage are toxic – site it away from where children or pets might nibble.