Grow an Easter Egg Plant

Any garden should have one fun plant or a focal plant just to add interest to the garden and yard. One of the most unusual plants I have grown is the Easter Egg plant. And yes the fruits do look like small oval Easter eggs. This is an annual plant that is easy to grow and really gets attention.

Living in a zone 5 climate I start my seeds indoors about 6 weeks before I plan to set them out. The seeds started very easily and transplanting them outdoors did not seem to set the plants back at all. Because it’s a unique plant I usually leave two in decorative pots.

This year I have started the plants earlier. Its January and I have 22 plants that stand a half an inch tall. I started them using the styrofoam cup technique (seeds sprout in 3 days and I had a %100 success rate.)

The plant has fruit that is somewhat  like a small eggplant. There are two varieties of the plant, they say one grows edible fruit (S. melongena) and the other does not (S. ovigerum) The fruit starts out white and look just like an egg. As the season extends the fruit will mature to deep pastel cream, yellow, orange or possibly green. I have heard a few people say they had a reddish color and purple colored egg.

The plants prefer a sunny, well-drained location. It will grow to 12 to 18 inches tall. You will need to check the plant for mites, but a homemade garlic recipe or store bought insecticides if you go that route, should keep any insects off the plants. If you plan to harvest seed from the plant let the fruit get overripe, then remove the seeds, wash and dry.

These plants are an annual outdoors but if brought in will live and produce egg fruits for several years.

The Easter Easter Egg plant is actually a member of the Potato family, with wide green foliage protecting the fruit, giving the plant a lush look. This plant makes a great accent plant and adds adventure to the garden area as you wait to see what colors you will grow on your unique plant.

Note: Some people say this is  edible but I don’t believe it is. And my philosophy is don’t take the chance. If you like eggplant – use the real variety.