Flowertheferret,

I can't believe no one has responded to this yet! This is a major problem currently plaguing trees throughout Southern Florida. Parasitic potatoes are the number two cause of rat infestations in suburban areas. There really isn't much you can do but harvest as many as possible before they fall to the ground and inevitably attract hundreds of rats.

I'm no culinary expert, but they sure are tasty baked or mashed and used to top of your favorite shepherd's pie recipe!

Best of luck!

I can assure you that those are not potatoes! If that fruit is edible, tree rats (squirrels) are well adapted to harvesting and consuming them before rats start swarming the neighbourhood.

I don't think you need to worry too much about rats anyway, you seem to be locked in some sort of screened enclosure...I say locked because you must have realized how poor your photo was but were unable to go outside and take a better/closer shot.

Yes: much better photo needed.

Are you sure those are not the fruits of the tree itself? Tropical mahogany (swietenia macrophylla) is a fairly common landscape tree in S FL and has indedible fruit that looks just like that:

Edit: Since i can't find an embed-able image, see link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: swietenia macrophylla

This post was edited by writersblock on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 12:48

Air potato vine?

Here is a link that might be useful: air potato vine link

if this is remotely serious, and this person is in south Florida, a sausage tree (Kigelia africana)? I suggest the tactic below as a preemptive strike for rats

Or even bigger fish to fry...?

OT, but now I totally want a goat tree.

Those are some funny pictures.

Never seen such a big gall.....

Do rats eat potatoes???

Better than Buffaloes on my lawn....

Rompin all around and stompin on the ground.....
and all of my grass was gone...

Hi Flowertheferret
I'd plant an African Sausage tree - Kigelia africana
next to your potatoe tree and skip the grocery store.

I have goat tree seeds if anyone is interested.

It's just the seed pods of a mahogany tree. Not potatoes.

I'm interested in growing a cat tree. Let me know what you want for some kitten seeds.

Toilet trees?

Sorry rubyhum, I had my cat tree spade.

Good one Emerogork2 - I see what you did there.