Eggplant
Solanum melongena
Loves heat as much as flea beetles love it; cover young plants.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 3 ft tall, 2 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: S. and SE Asia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food.
Native to: South & Southeast Asian tropics. Hardy in zones 2 to 11.
The story
Eggplant was domesticated in India and China and grown there for 2,000 years before Arab traders carried it through Persia to Spain and Italy; the Mediterranean made it into moussaka, baba ghanoush and parmigiana. The first European types were small, white and egg-shaped.
Planting
Full sun, rich drained soil, and real heat; set out plants three weeks after frost, 2 feet apart, with black mulch in cool climates.
Growing
Water deeply and evenly, feed when the first fruit sets, and stake. It wants more warmth than tomatoes.
Harvest and use
Pick when the skin is glossy and the flesh springs back from a thumb; dull skin means overripe and bitter. Cut the stem with pruners.
What to watch for
Flea beetles on young plants, verticillium wilt in old tomato ground, and cold.
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home