Flower Specifications
- Season: Annual
- USDA Zones: 4 - 10
- Height: 24 inches
- Bloom Season: Mid spring to late summer
- Bloom Color: Purple
- Environment: Full sun
- Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil, pH 5.1 - 6.0
Planting Directions
- Temperature: 75F or warmer
- Average Germ Time: 10 - 21 days
- Light Required: No
- Depth: 1/4 - 1/2 inch deep in loose soil
- Sowing Rate: 2 - 3 seeds per plant
- Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
- Plant Spacing: 12 - 18 inches
- Care & Maintenance: See: Ornamental Eggplant
Ornamental Eggplant (Solanum Melongena Golden Eggs) - The Golden Egg Tree, or what we call Ornamental Eggplant, was named for its egg-shaped fruit, which closely resemble the goose's golden eggs. It is a tropical plant that can grow as tall as two feet and produces between ten and fifty white and yellow edible egg-shaped fruits. The plant is classified as an Ornamental Eggplant, and its white variety was even popular in Thomas Jefferson's Monticello gardens. With full sun and proper care, the Golden Egg Tree can be grown indoors and outdoors and is an exotic addition to any home garden.
Ornamental Eggplant is a tropical plant, which means it needs a warm environment with full afternoon sun. While it can survive in cooler climates and partial sun, these plants will not produce fully ripened fruit. The Ornamental Eggplant can survive both outdoors and indoors, if placed in a window that receives afternoon sun. Ornamental Eggplant should be watered regularly, or whenever the soil is dry to the touch. It does not need to be fertilized, and is fairly disease resistant.
Depending on the size and health of the Ornamental Eggplant, you can expect the tree to produce between ten to twenty full-grown fruits. Some plants that are fully-grown have produced up to fifty fruit eggs. When first formed, the fruit are white. Some turn yellow and even golden as they mature. In addition to the white and golden egg-shaped fruits, the Ornamental Eggplant will also produce purple flowers early in the growing season.
Ornamental Eggplant is a late season plant, therefore the fruit can be harvested between two and three months after planting. Depending on your location and planting date, the fruit will usually be fully mature by late summer.
There are several ways to eat the fruit produced by the Ornamental Eggplant. There is general disagreement as to whether or not the fruit is edible. Most sources indicate that it is edible, but that it has a bitter taste. The raw fruit can be baked, fried, grilled or braised and served as a vegetable, in curry or sauce. A ripe fruit will taste like a melon, and can be eaten raw after peeled. The fruit can also be baked, steamed and fried. The golden fruit would make a good addition to a fruit salad, or could be used as a chutney or jam.
