A bacterial strain designated A4STR04T was isolated from the inner root tissue of potatoes in Spain. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence placed the isolate into the genus Fontibacillus, being most closely related to Fontibacillus panacisegetis KCTC 13564T with 99 % identity. The isolate was observed to form Gram-positive, motile and sporulating rods. The catalase test was found to be negative and oxidase positive. Nitrate was found to be reduced to nitrite. β-Galactosidase and caseinase were observed to be produced but the production of gelatinase, urease, arginine dehydrolase, ornithine and lysine decarboxylase was negative. Aesculin hydrolysis was found to be positive and acetoin production was negative. Growth was found to be supported by many carbohydrates and organic acids as carbon source. MK-7 was the only menaquinone detected and the major fatty acid (61.5 %) was identified as anteiso-C15:0, as occurs in the other species of genus Fontibacillus. The strain A4STR04T was found to display a complex lipid profile consisting of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, a glycolipid, two phospholipids, a lipid and two aminophospholipids. Mesodiaminopimelic acid was detected in the peptidoglycan. The G+C content was determined to be 50.5 mol% (Tm). Phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic analyses showed that strain A4STR04T (=LMG 28458 T = CECT 8693T) should be classified as representing a novel species of genus Fontibacillus, for which the name Fontibacillus solani sp. nov. is proposed.