About
This compact easy-to-grow annual vegetable small enough to be grown in a pot on a patio. It has green leaves and purple flowers, which develop into a heavy crop of small egg-shaped dark purple to almost black fruits.
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 typeConservatory Greenhouse, Fruit Edible
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height1 year
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
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)