Spread of the Potato in Europe

Timeline

1. 1570–1590Iberian Peninsula · Iberian PeninsulaSpaniards brought potatoes from Peru to the Iberian Peninsula, recorded in the Spanish court around the 1570s; initially grown as ornamental plants and herbs rather than widely eaten, they were distributed mainly to the poor and the sick.
2. 1580–1610Ireland · British IslesThe potato spread rapidly in Ireland owing to its adaptation to rainy climates and smallholder plots; by the early 17th century Irish farmers were eating it daily, and its high caloric value and storability made it an important staple for the lower classes, laying the foundation for rapid population growth.
3. 1621–1650Low Countries and Germany · Low CountriesDuring the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) army movements and food shortages accelerated potato adoption in the Low Countries and German territories; cultivation records appear in parts of the Holy Roman Empire around 1621, as the war devastated traditional grain agriculture and the potato, which could be hidden in the ground, became a food source in troubled times.
4. 1700–1800Northern and Eastern Europe · Eastern EuropeFrom the 18th century the potato was promoted as a strategic food in Prussia, Poland, Russia, and the Scandinavian countries; monarchs such as Frederick the Great issued decrees mandating its cultivation, and the potato ultimately became the main source of calories for Europe's lower classes, driving European population growth from about 125 million in 1700 to about 200 million in 1800.