Japanese eggplant 'Ichiban'

Sun

Full sun, with at least 6-8 hours of direct light daily; choose a warm, sheltered position.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply when the surface begins to dry; containers may need daily watering in hot weather.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost, ideally pH 6.0-6.8. Use good-quality vegetable potting mix in containers.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Flowers

Purple, star-shaped flowers from summer into autumn while temperatures remain warm.

Foliage

Broad, softly hairy green leaves, sometimes with purple-tinged veins and stems.

Growth

Fast in warm weather; 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 after frost danger has passed, once soil is warm and nights stay above about 13°C (55°F).
• Keep moisture consistent, directing water onto the soil rather than wetting the leaves.
• Mulch once the soil has warmed, leaving a gap around the stem.
• Feed container plants regularly with a tomato fertiliser once flowering begins, following the label rate.
• Stake at planting and tie stems loosely as the fruit load increases.
• Allow about 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) between plants for light and airflow.

Pruning. Routine pruning is unnecessary. Remove damaged or diseased leaves promptly, and trim only crowded lower growth that touches the soil.

Pick fruits in summer and early autumn when they are glossy, firm and usually about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) long, before the skin becomes dull and seeds harden. Cut the stalk with secateurs, leaving a short stem attached; avoid pulling, and wear gloves if the calyx is prickly. In warm conditions, picking often begins about 50-70 days after transplanting, but cool weather can delay it considerably.

Late winter

Sow indoors about 8-10 weeks before your expected planting-out date, using gentle bottom heat for germination.

Spring

Pot seedlings into individual containers and provide strong light and steady warmth.

Late spring

Harden off gradually, then plant into warm soil after frost danger has passed; install stakes.

Summer

Water consistently, mulch warm soil and begin regular feeding as flowers appear.

Summer

Check leaf undersides for pests and harvest glossy fruits frequently.

Autumn

Pick remaining usable fruit before frost and remove spent plants; dispose of diseased material rather than composting it.

• Plant in sunny raised vegetable beds, where the upright plants give height above low leafy crops.
• Use in large patio containers near the kitchen, with stakes concealed among the foliage.
• Combine with basil and low marigolds in a potager for contrasting leaf textures and flower colour.
• Place at the back of an edible border so the purple flowers and hanging fruits remain visible.

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

Plant it with: Basil, French marigold, Lettuce, Spring onions and Swiss chard.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen for bees, especially bumblebees, whose vibration helps release it. Although flowers are self-fertile, bee visits can improve fruit set.

• Flea beetles chew small holes in young leaves: protect new transplants with insect mesh, removing it or providing access when pollination is needed.
• Aphids gather on soft shoots and leaf undersides: wash off small colonies with water or use an insecticidal soap labelled for edible crops.
• Red spider mites cause pale stippling and fine webbing, especially under glass: inspect leaf undersides, prevent drought stress and use suitable biological controls or labelled soap treatments.
• Few fruits or dropped flowers often follow cold nights, extreme heat or uneven watering: maintain steady moisture, ventilate greenhouses in hot weather and provide shelter or cover in cool conditions.

Leaves, stems and other green plant parts contain glycoalkaloids and should not be eaten by people, cats, dogs or horses. Ingestion can cause digestive upset, with larger amounts potentially causing serious poisoning. The harvested fruit is edible and normally cooked; it is not generally considered poisonous as food.

• Globe eggplant (Solanum melongena)

  The foliage and flowers are very similar, but globe types produce broad, oval or rounded fruits rather than the long, slender fruits of 'Ichiban'.

• Courgette or zucchini (Cucurbita pepo)

  Courgettes have large yellow flowers and rough, often deeply lobed leaves; 'Ichiban' has purple flowers, softer leaves and fruits held beneath a prominent green calyx.

'Ichiban' is Japanese for 'number one'; the English name eggplant comes from the egg-shaped white fruits of some older varieties.

Propagation. Raise from seed with a germination temperature of about 24-29°C (75-85°F), or buy young plants. 'Ichiban' is commonly sold as an F1 hybrid, so saved seed may not produce plants with the same fruit or growth.

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.