Aubergine

Sun

Full sun, with at least 6-8 hours of direct light and shelter from cold winds.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Containers may need daily watering in hot weather.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, ideally pH 6.0-7.0.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Spread

1.5-3 ft (0.45-0.9 m)

Flowers

Summer into autumn; usually purple, sometimes white, star-shaped flowers.

Foliage

Large, softly hairy, green to grey-green leaves, sometimes purple-tinged; some varieties have prickles on stems and leaf veins.

Growth

Fast in sustained warmth; slow in cool conditions.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (0.9 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant out only after frost risk has passed and nights remain reliably above 15°C (59°F). Harden plants off first.
• Water at soil level whenever the surface begins to dry; avoid repeated drying out during flowering and fruit growth.
• Mix compost into the bed before planting, then feed container plants regularly with a tomato fertiliser according to its label.
• Mulch once the soil has warmed, keeping mulch clear of the stem.
• Stake tall plants early and tie stems loosely as heavy fruits develop.
• Harvest with secateurs while the skin is glossy and the fruit feels firm; dull skin and hard seeds indicate overmaturity.

Pruning. Little pruning is needed outdoors: remove damaged leaves and shoots that touch the soil. Under glass, pinch out the main growing tip at about 1 ft (0.3 m) to encourage branching, and retain three or four strong shoots if space is limited.

Pick aubergines (eggplants) through summer and autumn, before frost, when fruits reach the size typical of the variety, have glossy skin and feel firm with a slight give under gentle pressure. Harvest while seeds are still soft and pale; dull skin and hard, dark seeds indicate overripe fruit. Cut the stalk with secateurs, leaving a short stem attached, and wear gloves if the stalk or calyx is prickly.

Late winter

Sow indoors about 8-10 weeks before your intended planting date, using warmth of roughly 24-29°C (75-84°F) for germination.

Early spring

Pot seedlings individually and provide strong light and steady warmth.

Late spring

Harden off and plant into warm soil after frost, or move plants into their final greenhouse containers.

Early summer

Fit stakes, mulch warm soil and begin regular feeding as flowers and fruits develop.

Summer

Check leaf undersides for pests, maintain even watering and ventilate greenhouses in hot weather.

Late summer to autumn

Pick fruits regularly while glossy; remove plants once cold stops growth or frost kills the foliage.

• Grow in a sunny potager with basil and low flowers, using the broad leaves and glossy fruits as contrasting textures.
• Use a compact variety in a large patio container where its flowers and fruit can be seen close up.
• Plant in orderly rows within raised vegetable beds, allowing enough space for air circulation and harvesting.
• Place among ornamental edible plants in a sheltered border for bold summer foliage and colourful fruit.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Modern courtyard, Small-space, Homestead and Mediterranean.

Plant it with: Basil, French marigold, Lettuce and Dwarf French bean.

Wildlife: Bumblebees and other bees visit the flowers for pollen and can improve pollination. The plant is not a larval food plant for most garden butterflies.

• Red spider mite: fine webbing and pale, stippled leaves are common under hot, dry glasshouse conditions. Inspect leaf undersides, avoid drought stress and introduce suitable predatory mites early.
• Aphids and whiteflies: check young shoots and leaf undersides; wash off small colonies or use an insecticidal soap labelled for edible crops.
• Verticillium wilt: yellowing and wilting may affect one side first. Remove affected plants, avoid moving contaminated soil and use fresh container compost or a different growing area.
• Poor fruit set: cool nights, extreme heat or drought can cause flowers to drop. Maintain steady moisture, improve warmth in cool climates and gently tap flowering stems under glass to help release pollen.

Leaves and stems contain glycoalkaloids and should not be eaten by people or fed to cats, dogs or horses. Significant ingestion can cause digestive upset and potentially more serious poisoning. The cultivated fruit is edible for people and is normally cooked; food portions of the fruit are not generally considered poisonous.

• Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

  Tomatoes have divided leaves and yellow flowers; aubergines have broad, mostly undivided leaves and usually purple flowers.

• Apple of Sodom (Solanum linnaeanum)

  This poisonous, prickly shrub has deeply lobed leaves and round fruits that turn yellow when ripe. Do not identify an unknown plant as an edible aubergine from fruit shape alone.

The name 'eggplant' refers to white, egg-shaped fruits of some early cultivated forms, while 'aubergine' reached English through French from Arabic and Persian names for the plant.

Propagation. Usually grown from seed sown indoors with bottom heat. Seed saved from hybrid varieties will not reliably produce matching plants; vegetative cuttings are possible but need warm, protected conditions.

Accepted botanical name

Solanum melongena

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

China South-Central, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Measured

Average height 85 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.