Scientific Name:
Solanum melongena
Pronunciation:
so-LAN-num mel-ON-gen-uh
Common Name:
eggplant
Family Name:
Solanaceae
Plant Type:
Greenhouse produce plant, Vine or climber
Key ID Features:
Plant erect, shrubby, annual in zone 7; leaves alternate, most blades 15-25cm long x 10-20cm wide, gray-green; flowers violet, drooping, late spring; fruit white-purple, 8-37cm. long, summer.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Climbing
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Urban agriculture (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Pinnately lobed
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Violet
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Berry (true), Edible
Fruit Colour:
White, Violet (Some cvs. striped.)
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Not showy, Edible
Bark or Stem Colour:
Propagation:
Seed
Optimal Temp.:
High
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
High
Pest Susceptibility:
Mites, Root rot, Thrips
