Aubergine

Solanum melongena | Also known as: Eggplant, Guinea Squash | Rating: 0 votes | Print / Pdf

It is well worth shelling out for an egg plant to add to the vegetable patch.

To the professionals, it is Solanum melongena; to the rest of us it is either an Aubergine or Eggplant depending on the side of the Atlantic we reside on. The plant has large, mid-green, coarsely lobed leaves, with a spiny stem, and while the Aubergine is grown primarily for its fruit, it still boasts a delicate beauty when in bloom. Its flowers are small, with five-petalled blossoms usually purple in colour and with eye-catching bright yellow stamens. Some cultivars produce the fruit early in season, but it is highly useful as garden produce, and is best to grow under glass.

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Plant
Known dangers?
  • no
Height [m]
  • 0.5 - 0.7
Spread [m]
  • 0.4
Dominant flower colour
  • White
Flower Fragrance
  • No, neutral please
Foliage in summer
  • Green
Propagation methods
  • seed
Growth habit
  • Climbing
  • Irregular
Environment
Acidity
  • Acidic
  • Neutral
Hardiness zone
  • Z4-10
Heat zone
  • H12-1
Winter temperatures [°C]
  • -34 - 4
Heat days
  • 0 - 210
Moisture
  • well-drained
Soil type
  • sandy
  • loams
Sun requirements
  • Full sun
Exposure
  • Sheltered
Usage
Standard category
  • Vegetables & herbs
  • Vegetables
Grown for
  • Culinary use
Creative category
  • Kid Approved
  • Fast growing
  • Outdoor food
Garden type
  • Kitchen garden
Gardening expertise
  • intermediate
Time to reach full size
  • 1 to 2 years
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