Eggplant, Rosa Bianca

Eggplants originated in China and India and have been cultivated there for thousands of years. The Spanish Moors introduced the eggplant into southern and Eastern Europe where it became very popular. The early explorers of the New World introduced eggplant into the Americas in the 1500s, but the plant never caught on. For many years, Americans were suspicious of the plant because it belonged to the Nightshade family, of Deadly Nightshade fame. Eggplants, tomatoes and potatoes all belong to this family and many Americans thought the vegetables were poisonous. For the better part of three centuries, Americans have known the large purple eggplant. In the 1960’s, some of the smaller Japanese varieties were introduced for home gardeners. Only recently has America embraced the extensive varieties of Indian, Italian, Japanese and Chinese eggplants.The eggplant family is one of the largest and most diverse of the vegetable plant families. The size and shape of the plants and the size and shape of the fruits vary tremendously, but all eggplants were originally tropicals. They love and require heat. It can almost be said, “the hotter, the better”. We believe it is this requirement for heat that makes eggplants an ideal container vegetable. Every eggplant that we know of will grow in a container. Eggplants produce prolifically in containers. They love the heat coming off a brick, stone or concrete wall on a patio.