Specialties

Selection of Potato Varieties

At a Glance

Specialty potatoes come in various skin and/or flesh colors or shapes atypical of those commonly produced and sold. The first foray into developing specialty cultivars was the naming of the Mountain Rose and Purple Majesty varieties. Mountain Rose aptly describes this red skin, light red flesh cultivar. whereas the Purple Majesty name was inspired by the original lyrics for the song ‘America the Beautiful’ written by Katherine Lee Bates in 1893 atop Pikes Peak, which provided a majestic view of the Great Plains. The Masquerade variety is a bicolor purple and white skinned yellow-fleshed cultivar and was named for the masked appearance created by the skin coloring.

Each potato specialty variety is unique and delicious – please contact us directly if you are interested in growing them!

There are several varieties listed below available for purchase through the Colorado Certified Potato Growers Association (CCPGA). Experimental lines are also available for field trials.

Breeders

Overview

Advanced Specialty Selections Available through CCPGA
Mountain Rose (CO94183-1R)

Pedigree: All Red x ND2109-7
Plant Variety Protection: 200500232
Seed Availability: Certified seed is available from producers in Colorado
CCPGA Variety Info & Contact
Ref. No.: 14-086

Description:

  • An early maturing fresh market specialty with red skin and red flesh. It has attractive oval tubers with early storage processing potential.
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market
  • Plant: Medium vine size, semi-erect plant with reddish-purple flowers
  • Maturity: Early
  • Tubers: Oval tubers with red skin and red flesh. Tubers are resistant to hollow heart, second growth and shatter bruise.
  • Yield Potential: Medium-high (avg. 383 cwt/acre) and 68 % of US No. 1 tubers
  • Specific Gravity: Medium (1.081)

Advantages:

  • Early maturity
  • Red flesh color
  • Early storage processing potential
Purple Majesty (CO94165-3P/P)

Pedigree: ND2008-2 x All Blue
Plant Variety Protection: 200500233
Seed Availability: Certified seed is available from producers in Colorado
CCPGA Variety Info & Contact
Ref. No.: 99-028

Description:

  • A high yielding fresh market specialty with dark purple skin and uniform dark purple flesh. It has a high yield potential and early maturity.
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market
  • Plant: Medium vine size, semi-erect plant with light blue flowers
  • Maturity: Early
  • Tubers: Oval tubers with purple skin and dark purple flesh. Tubers are resistant to second growth and shatter bruise.
  • Yield Potential: High (avg. 483 cwt/acre) and an average of 55% of US No. 1 tubers
  • Specific Gravity: Medium (1.086)

Advantages:

  • Yield potential
  • Early maturity
  • Uniform dark purple flesh
Masquerade (AC99329-7PW/Y)

Pedigree: Inka Gold x A91846-5R
Plant Variety Protection: 201400086
Seed Availability: Certified seed is available from producers in Colorado
San Luis Valley Research Center
Ref. No.: 14-048

Description:

  • A medium maturing fresh market specialty with bicolor purple and white skin and yellow flesh. It has a high yield potential and good flavor attributes.
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market specialty
  • Plant: Large vine size, semi-erect plant with dark purple flowers
  • Maturity: Medium
  • Tubers: Round tubers with purple and white bicolor skin and yellow flesh. Tubers are moderately resistant to hollow heart, blackspot bruise, and shatter bruise.
  • Yield Potential: High (avg. 522 cwt/acre) and 79% of US No. 1 tubers
  • Specific Gravity: Medium-high (avg. 1.092)

Advantages:

  • Yield potential
  • Attractive tuber type
  • Good flavor attributes
AKA Midnight Moon (AC99330-1P/Y)

Pedigree: Inka Gold x A89655-5DY
Plant Variety Protection: 201500348
Seed Availability: Certified seed is available from producers in Colorado
San Luis Valley Research Center
Ref. No.: 15-038

Description:

  • A high yielding fresh market specialty with purple skin and yellow flesh. It has a medium maturity and produces round tubers with a small size profile and dark yellow flesh
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market specialty
  • Plant: Medium vine size, semi-erect plant with blue flowers
  • Maturity: Medium
  • Tubers: Round tubers with purple skin and yellow flesh. Tubers are resistant to hollow heart, blackspot bruise and second growth.
  • Yield Potential: High (avg. 495 cwt/acre) and 58% of US No. 1 tubers, small tubers size profile
  • Specific Gravity: Medium (1.082)

Advantages:

  • High yield potential
  • Attractive tuber type
  • Dark yellow flesh
Red Luna (CO97233-3R/Y)

Pedigree: CO94218-1 x VC0967-5
Plant Variety Protection: 201500350
Seed Availability: Certified seed is available from producers in Colorado
San Luis Valley Research Center
Ref. No.: 15-039

Description:

  • A medium maturing fresh market specialty with red skin and yellow flesh. It has high yield potential and attractive oblong tubers.
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market specialty
  • Plant: Medium vine size, with reddish-purple flowers
  • Maturity: Medium
  • Tubers: Oblong tubers with red skin and yellow flesh. Tubers are resistant to blackspot bruise and shatter bruise.
  • Yield Potential: High (477 cwt/acre) and 73% of US No. 1 tubers
  • Specific Gravity: Medium (1.082)

Advantages:

  • High yield potential
  • Attractive red skin and yellow flesh
Crimson King (CO97222-1R/R)

Pedigree: CO94170-1 x Mountain Rose
Plant Variety Protection: 201600314
Seed Availability: Certified seed is available from producers in Colorado
San Luis Valley Research Center
Ref. No.: 16-098

Description:

  • A medium-early maturing fresh market specialty with red skin and red flesh. The attractive oval tubers have yield potential and a small size profile.
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market specialty
  • Plant: Medium vine size, semi-erect plants with white flowers
  • Maturity: Medium-early
  • Tubers: Oval tubers with red skin and red flesh. Tubers are resistant to hollow heart, second growth and growth crack.
  • Yield Potential: Medium-high (avg. 396 cwt/acre) and 58% of US No. 1 tubers
  • Specific Gravity: Low (1.076)

Advantages:

  • Yield potential
  • Attractive tuber type
  • Small tuber size profile
Columbine Gold (AC05175-3P/Y)

Pedigree: A99331-2R/Y x COA99261-1RY
Plant Variety Protection: 202100351
Seed Availability: Certified seed is available from producers in Colorado
San Luis Valley Research Center
Ref. No.: 19-052

Description:

  • A fresh market specialty with dark purple skin and yellow flesh. It has a medium yield potential and a very early maturity. The attractive oval tubers are resistant to internal and external grade defects.
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market specialty
  • Plant: Small-medium vine size, semi-erect plants with dark purple flowers
  • Maturity: Very early
  • Tubers: Oval tubers with dark purple skin and yellow flesh. Tubers are resistant to blackspot bruise, growth crack, second growth and hollow heart.
  • Yield Potential: Medium (avg. 329 cwt/acre) and 64 % of US No. 1 tubers
  • Specific Gravity: Medium (1.072)

Advantages:

  • Medium yield potential
  • Very early maturity
  • Resistant to internal and external grade defects
Carla Rosa (CO(CO97232-2R/Y)

Pedigree: CO94218-1 x VC0967-2R/Y
Plant Variety Protection: To Be Filed
CCPGA Variety Info & Contact
Ref. No.: 2024-063

Description:

  • An early maturing fresh market specialty with red skin and red flesh. It has attractive oval tubers with early storage processing potential.
  • Cultivar Management Sheet

General Characteristics:

  • Usage: Fresh market
  • Plant: Medium-small vine size, semi-erect plant with reddish-purple flowers
  • Maturity: Early
  • Tubers: Oval tubers with red skin and red flesh. Tubers are resistant to hollow heart, second growth, blackspot bruise, and shatter bruise.
  • Yield Potential: High with high percentage of US No. 1 tubers
  • Specific Gravity: Medium

Advantages:

  • Red skin with yellow flesh color
  • Resistance to metribuzin reaction

Are you looking for something not listed or interested in trialing experimental lines?

We have several new and advanced selections available for grower evaluation and exclusive release HERE.

Last Updated: November 2024
Opportunity

Available for Licensing

Reference Number
Per Individual Variety
Licensing Manager

Jessy McGowan
Jessy.McGowan@colostate.edu
970-491-7100

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