Among the variety of eggplant varieties you can find not only purple, but also white, green, striped or orange fruits. We present the best varieties and their properties for the home garden.
the aubergine (Solanum melongena) or eggplant is a nightshade plant (Solanaceae) from East Asia. In India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia you will find the greatest variety of different varieties. In our part of the world, the warmth-loving vegetable is best known as an oval to cone-shaped, dark purple fruit. We present colorful eggplant varieties for growing in the garden and on the balcony.
Eggplant Varieties: Various colors, sizes and shapes
Eggplants can be oval, round, oblong, or pear-shaped. It is impossible to determine exactly how many varieties of eggplant there are, but there must be several hundred. Before going into the varieties of aubergines, one should take a look at the subdivision of the most important aubergine shapes.
- Solanum melongena var. esculentum: Aubergine type with oblong, club-shaped or oval fruits. The aubergines available in our supermarkets come almost exclusively from this variety.
- Solanum melongena var. serpentine: Aubergine variety with thin, elongated fruits. It is also known as snake eggplant.
- Solanum melongena var. depression: A variety with very small, round fruits that is particularly widespread and popular in Asia. These are available from us in well-stocked Asian shops.
- Solanum aethiopicum: The African eggplant or Ethiopian eggplant, a relative of the classic eggplant, forms more commonly red and orange, ribbed or teardrop shaped and other unusually shaped fruits the end. They usually have a bitter taste, which is particularly appreciated in stews and curries.
If you want to plant eggplant seeds, you should decide on the right variety quite early in the year. Aubergines should be planted as early as February so that sufficiently developed plants can be planted from May. Alternatively, you can obtain early specimens from the nursery. More tips about Planting Eggplants can be found in our special article.
The best varieties of eggplant
The variety determines the shape and color of the aubergine variety. In addition, the varieties differ in the size of the plant, yield and time of ripening. The following varieties are ideal for the home garden:
- 'Apple Green': Very early, green aubergine up to 70 cm tall. The variety ripens reliably even in cooler summers and has a very good taste.
- 'Antar F1': Robust aubergine variety with club-shaped, shiny, almost black fruits and good aroma. The vigorous, early maturing plants can also be grown outdoors.
- 'Antigua': White-purple striped aubergine with large, club-shaped fruits up to 20 cm long. The aubergine 'Antigua' requires a lot of heat and should therefore be cultivated in a greenhouse or on a protected house wall.
- 'bambino': Dwarf aubergine with violet skin and small growth up to about 30 cm in height. The variety is ideal for smaller balconies and terraces or for growing in raised beds.
- 'Benary's Blue Queen': Aubergine with compact growth up to 60 cm. The early variety is well suited to outdoor cultivation and produces dull purple, club-shaped fruits. The purple aubergine 'Benarys Blaukönigin' also thrives in cooler conditions.
- 'Black Beauty': Historical cultivar with shiny, dark purple, club-shaped fruits. Due to the good yield and the fine aroma, the aubergine 'Black Beauty' is still a popular choice even after more than 100 years.
- 'casper': White aubergine with club-shaped white fruits and very tender and aromatic pulp. The plants are stately and should therefore be placed at a sufficient planting distance.
tip: The so-called egg tree also bears white eggplants, i.e. aubergines. You can find out what the rarity is all about in our special article on the egg tree.
- 'Early Violet': Aubergine variety with good outdoor suitability, since the robust plants need less warmth than other varieties. The 'Frühviolette' aubergine forms club-shaped fruits and can be harvested from July if grown early.
- 'Galine F1': Purple aubergine with very round fruits, deep violet color and good taste. The plants of the aubergine 'Galine F1' can grow up to 150 cm high.
- Gilo Brazil: Varieties of the African aubergine with elongated, teardrop-shaped fruits. Like most other varieties, the aubergine, which is red when ripe, is harvested unripe when it still has green and yellow stripes.
- 'Money Maker F1': Modern hybrid variety that is popular with hobby growers because it requires less heat than other varieties. The aubergine 'Money Maker F1' is early and fertile with elongated, dark purple fruits.
- 'obsidian': Aubergine from China with round, dark purple fruits. The plants reach a growth height of up to 70 cm. The round aubergine 'Obsidian' can be harvested as early as July.
- 'Ophelia F1': Breeding that is particularly suitable for cultivation on the balcony or terrace due to its compact growth. The aubergine 'Ophelia F1' bears round-oval, purple-colored fruits with a very good taste, it is very productive.
- 'ping tung': Snake eggplant from Taiwan with very long violet fruits up to 40 cm. The plants grow rather compactly up to 70 cm high.
- 'Pinstripe F1': Recent eggplant breeding for pot culture. The very small-fruited variety forms white-purple fruits with an excellent aroma.
- 'Rosita': Extremely attractive, pink aubergine variety with large, club-shaped fruits and stately, vigorous plants.
- ‘Rotonda Bianca sfumata di Rosa’: Aubergine with large, club-shaped fruits with a light purple-white skin. The striped Italian aubergine 'Rotonda Bianca sfumata di Rosa' is productive and vigorous.
- 'Slim Jim': Compact, low aubergine variety with numerous, elongated fruits in clusters resembling fingers, which is why it is also called finger aubergine. The mini aubergine is particularly suitable for growing in pots.
- ‘Striped Toga‘: Aubergine with striped, orange fruits when fully ripe. It is shaped like a pointed pepper and is more cold-tolerant than other varieties. It belongs to the African aubergines, but has no bitter taste.
- ‘Violetta Lunga’: Aubergine with very long, club-shaped fruits up to 30 cm. The violet fruits thrive on plants up to 150 cm high.
- 'Zora': Vigorous aubergine variety with club-shaped, shiny purple fruits and a long-lasting harvest time. The purple aubergine 'Zora' has a very fine taste.
tip: In order for the aubergine variety of your choice to produce a rich harvest, the heavily consuming vegetable plant should be supplied with sufficient nutrients. A primarily organic long-term fertilizer like ours Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is excellent for this.
The harvest time for the various aubergine varieties begins in midsummer. We give tips on harvesting and Storage of eggplants.
