Air potatoes have become a big problem in Indian River County. The vines spread quickly, growing into the canopy wherever they are found and the ground below is littered in one growing season with hundreds and even thousands of bulbils that become underground tubers resprouting the next season. Vines can grow more than 70 feet, sprawling up into the canopy and over the tops of native trees and shrubs. It’s name may be deceiving, but it is not an edible potato!
Air potato, like many of our invasive exotics are native to Asia and Australia. What’s really interesting is that male air potato plants have not been found in Florida! This plant reproduces here through a type of cloning where small potato like growths or bulbils are produced on the stem. This plant dies and becomes dormant in the wintertime, but will spring back quickly from underground tubers and new bulbils when the weather warms and the days become longer.
Control for these plants used to consist of hand collecting bulbils, cutting down the vines to restrict new growth and herbicide applications. Fortunately, there’s a new tiny (and cute) helper in the workforce -the air potato leaf beetles – these tiny red beetles are actively chewing and munching away at the leaf growth during the spring, summer and fall! It’s believed that these beetles are now becoming so common that they will move throughout the ecosystems giving us a hand in the battle against this invasive species! If you have air potato and would like to request beetles for your infestation, you can contact the UF/Indian River County Extension office to see if they are actively rearing and distributing beetles! In the meantime we still have to collect bulbils and cut and treat the vines in order to keep up with this quick growing vine!
(Picture shows the Air Potato leaf with an Air Potato Beetle - for more info on our biological controls go here: https://bcrcl.ifas.ufl.edu/airpotatofiles/airpotato-meet%20beetle.shtml)
