Plants are very vigorous, semi-upright with leaves close and compact. The leaves are long, rigid and shiny both top and bottom with essentially no pubescence. Buds are reddish and flowers medium pink with small yellow anthers. Flower petals and anthers show a tendency to be irregular. The pollen is largely sterile.
Tubers are smooth, round to blocky and oblong with shallow eyes.
The tubers elongate as they increase in size. Itasca is suitable as a replacement for Kennebec. Because of the Itasca's strong dormancy, it should be properly preconditioned prior to planting in order to insure timely emergence.