Scarlet Eggplant
Solanum aethiopicum
(so-LAN-num) (ee-thee-OH-pik-um)
Synonyms: Pumpkin on a Stick, Mock Tomato Mini Pumpkins, Pumpkin Tree, Japanese Golden Eggs, Ethiopian Eggplant, Solanum integrifolium, Gilo
This picture was taken a couple of years ago but even though it was processed it didn’t make it on to the blog. This is a very interesting plant. One that has many different ways of being useful to a wide range of people. Discovered 2500 years ago the plant entered cultivation in Europe in the 16th Century. You would probably have to classify it as a novelty plant in the garden. Personally I like a few novelty type plants in a big garden it adds a bit of whimsy and fun and they are remarkable for some reason or another. The fruits are edible but are often bitter. The leaves of Solanum aethiopicum are edible too and are considerd more nutritious than the fruits.
There are several cultivars available including an orange berried (Turkish Orange) one and a green and white striped type.
3 comments:
I have this one!!! Park Seed had a few plants a year ago in the fall, by the front door. They offered a pumpkin or two to one of my neighbors who in turn shared some seeds with me. Mine had about 6 pumpkins until the deer found it. I was left with three, one of which fell off...though it is saved for seed collecting. What a fun plant, thanks for more info on it.
So very neat!
Lovely capture of the fruit.
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