Potatoes, starchy tubers from the Solanum tuberosum plant, are part of the nightshade family. They grow as herbaceous perennials, often cross-pollinated by bumblebees. Tubers form with decreasing daylight, but commercial varieties limit this. After flowering, potato plants yield toxic green fruits, with new varieties sprouting from "true potato seeds." Genetic advancements via CRISPR-Cas9 now enable self-compatibility, expediting focused breeding in potato genetics.