King Edward 

is a potato variety grown in the UK since 1902, making it one of the oldest varieties
still grown commercially.

Contents

 1Appearance
 2History
 3Cultivating
 4Culinary
 5References
 6Further reading

Appearance[edit]
The King Edward potato is predominantly white-skinned with pink colouration. It is mostly oval in
shape, with a floury texture and shallow eyes.[1] The plant is upright and tall with numerous stems
and small green leaves. Its flowers are purple with white-tipped petals.

History[edit]
In Redcliffe Salaman's book The History and Social Influence of the Potato first published in 1949, it
was noted that parentage of King Edward was unknown. It was bred by a gardener
in Northumberland who called it 'Fellside Hero' and passed into the hands of a grower in Yorkshire
and in turn a potato merchant in Manchester who having no use for it passed it onto John Butler
of Scotter in Lincolnshire. He in turn purchased all the seed stocks available and multiplied the
variety on 50 acres of land before renaming the variety King Edward on the advice of a potato
merchant.[2]
The Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 coincided with the introduction of this variety of potato
and its name is believed to originate as a 'commemoration' of this occasion.[3] It is claimed that the
grower wrote to Buckingham Palace seeking permission to name his potato after the monarch and
that a reply was received granting royal assent.
It is one of the oldest surviving varieties in Europe.[4]

Cultivating[edit]
The King Edward potato is a main crop; in the UK it is traditionally planted in April for harvest in
September. It is suitable to be grown both commercially and in allotments. It is very resistant
to common scab and offers some resistance to potato blight but is susceptible to potato cyst
nematode.[3]

Culinary