Start growing
Warm soil, full sun, wind protection.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Eggplant
Solanum melongena
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Eggplant care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Solanum melongena
- Common names
- Aubergine
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Genus
- Solanum
- Species
- S. melongena
Growing with your kit
Heavy feeder; Seeds In A Cup® recommends liquid feeding.
Propagation
By seed.
Seasonal growth & harvest
100-120 days of high heat needed.
Growing conditions
Tropical and subtropical rich soil.
Weather & tolerances
Highly heat tolerant; frost sensitive.
Pests & plant health
Flea beetles. Use row covers.
Plant safety
Safe for consumption.
Botanical features
Bushy perennial grown as annual; purple/white flowers.
Varieties
‘Black Beauty’, ‘Ichiban’.
Garden & everyday uses
Mediterranean and Asian culinary staple
Native range & distribution
South and East Asia origins.
Conservation
Genetic diversity priority.
Name origins
Named for early white-skinned cultivars resembling eggs.
History
Once feared as ‘Mad Apple’ in Europe.
Grow eggplant in a cup.
Seed Germination Kit
Eggplant Seed Starter Grow Kit
USD 10.99
Currently unavailable
Solanum melongena
7-14 daysView kit →