About
A bushy annual vegetable which is compact enoughto be grown in a pot on a patio. It has green leaves and purple flowers. These develop into a good crop of purple fruits the size of very large eggs.
About the genus
Solanum can be annuals, perennials, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or twining climbers, with simple or pinnnately lobed leaves and star- or bowl-shaped, 5-lobed flowers with prominent stamens, followed by fleshy fruits
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH1C
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible, Conservatory Greenhouse
HabitBushy
FoliageEvergreen
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height1 year
Suggested usesMixed borders, hedging, foundation planting.
Care notes
CultivationGrow in fertile moisture-retentive soil in good light. Can grow outside in summer. For more advice see aubergine cultivation
PruningPruning group 1
PropagationPropagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, glasshouse whitefly, glasshouse red spider mite and two-spotted mite
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)