(Eggplant)

Eggplant is an easy, warm-season vegetable that’s well worth the effort. Though perennial in its native Africa and Asia, most gardeners grow it as an annual vegetable crop. A healthy, mature plant has large, fuzzy, green leaves and an upright, bushy habit. Fruits are generally ready to harvest in 90 to 120 days after sowing from seed, or only 50 to 70 days when planted outdoors from robust seedlings.

The felty green leaves of eggplant sometimes have a purplish hue and appear on bushy, upright...

(Applegreen Eggplant, Eggplant)

Lots of mile, egg-shaped, light green fruits are produced on 'Applegreen' in the heat of summer. A very early-producing cultivar, it was developed by Elwyn Meader in 1964. The glossy fruits have a non-acidic flavor and tender white flesh. Peeling the thin, non-bitter skin isn't necessary before cooking. The upright bushy plant matures to waist high. Harvest is most plentiful from summer to fall, until plants are killed by light frost. Fruit is around 5 inches (12 centimeters)in diameter. The harvest...

(Black Beauty Eggplant, Eggplant)

Introduced over 100 years ago, the venerable ‘Black Beauty’ stands out for its large, glossy fruits, vigorous growth, and hefty crops. Over the growing season, one plant can yield up to fifteen big, oval, purple-black fruits weighing as much as 3 pounds (1.4 kg) each. The generous size and delicious flavor of this eggplant make it a favorite for slicing and frying, dips, and for the traditional Italian dish, eggplant parmigiana. Plants take around 80 days to harvest fruits if starting with robust...

(Casper Eggplant, Eggplant)

Glossy and white, 'Casper' eggplants are just like standard purple varieties but they're thinner and colorless. The compact plants produce 6 inch (15 centimeter) long fruits. The mild fruits are thin skinned as long as they are picked at the peak of perfection. Some describe the white, spongy flesh of 'Casper' as having a mushroom-like flavor. The summer harvest season begins 115 days after sowing seeds, or 70 days after planting from robust seedlings.

Eggplant is an easy, warm-season vegetable...

(Cloud Nine Eggplant, Eggplant)

The white, shiny fruits of ‘Cloud Nine’ are beautiful and have no bitter taste. It is resistant to TMV (tobacco mosaic virus), bushy, fruitful and an overall good garden performer. Each teardrop-shaped eggplant is pure white inside and out and matures to a good size; harvest when 6 to 8 inches long (15 to 20 centimeters). The flesh is delicately flavored and perfect for traditional eggplant dishes, like ratatouille or baba ganoush. The fruits are ready to harvest 65 to 70 days after planting from...

(Diamond Eggplant, Eggplant)

Producing long, slender, dark purple fruits in clusters, 'Diamond' is a robust eggplant that is high yielding. The shiny, elongated fruits of this Ukrainian heirloom are firm, non-bitter and have green tinted flesh. The compact, bushy plant yields fruit when weather is warm 100 days after sowing seeds, or 70 to 72 days from robust seedlings.

Eggplant is a warm-season perennial native to Asia and Africa that’s usually grown as an annual vegetable. It has an upright, bushy habit and fuzzy medium-green...

(Dusky Eggplant, Eggplant)

The robust fruits of ‘Dusky’ have good flavor and a classic eggplant look. This high performer is early bearing, disease resistant and very fruitful. Each oval-shaped eggplant is deep purple-black and best harvested when 8 to 9 inches long (20 to 22 centimeters). The flesh is well flavored and tasty for any traditional eggplant dishes. Fruits are generally ready to harvest in 62 to 65 days from planting seedlings, or 105 to 120 days after sowing seeds.

Eggplant is an easy, warm-season vegetable...

(Eggplant, Fairy Tale Eggplant, Striped Eggplant)

One of those easy summer garden vegetables well worth the work, eggplant is a warm-season tender perennial that originates from Africa and Asia. The cultivar ‘Fairy Tale’ has a compact, bushy habit and fuzzy medium green leaves. In summer it puts forth star-shaped lavender flowers with protruding yellow anthers, which are followed by small, elongated, white fruits with purple streaks. These are white-fleshed fruits are ready to harvest in 50 to 60 days after planting strong seedlings, or about 105...

(Eggplant, Florida High Bush Eggplant)

In the 1940s, 'Florida High Bush' was the standard eggplant variety for American commercial production. The vigorous, tall, well-branched plants are also disease and drought tolerant and hold fruits high from the ground. The abundant glossy, black-purple fruits are pear-shaped and have white flesh. Summer harvest begins 120 days after sowing from seed, or 75 to 85 days after planting robust seedlings.

Eggplant is an easy, warm-season vegetable that’s well worth the effort. Though perennial...

(Eggplant, Gretel Eggplant)

Excellent garden performance, pretty white fruits and early production earned ‘Gretel’ a place as an All-American Selections winner for 2009. Each compact, bushy plant produces lots of elongated, teardrop-shaped eggplants that are sweet and tender. The baby fruits reach 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 centimeters) long when mature. Their thin skin is tender and flesh has few seeds. Fruits are generally ready to harvest in 55 days after planting seedlings, or 100 to 110 days after sowing seeds.

Eggplant...