Solanine is the reason parts of the potato tuber turn green when they are in contact with sunlight These greenish parts of the potato must be cut away before the potato is consumed All aboveground portions of the potato are poisonous and should not be eaten, including the flowers, stems, leaves, fruits, and any tubers that remained above groundGreat Famine, also called Irish Potato Famine, Great Irish Famine, or Famine of 1845–49, famine that occurred in Ireland in 1845–49 when the potato crop failed in successive years The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plantAll cultivars share the traits of plain, though still edible, white tubers and sprawling growth Growth Habits Sweet potatoes fill out quickly and can take over small spaces Can I Eat The Tubers Of Ornamental Sweet Potato Vines That I Had In Containers Better Homes Gardens Potato plant leaves edible