5 Super Easy to Grow Eggplant Varieties

If you like having a tasty barbeque for your friends and family then growing an eggplant is a must. Eggplant is a perfect veggie to grow in areas where summers are long and warm. Below I give you my list of 5 super easy to grow varieties of this stately plant.

1. Eggplant ‘Black Beauty’

‘Black Beauty’ surely deserves its nickname. Based on its looks one might think that some beautiful fairy tale princess was charmed and turned into an eggplant.

This dark purple variety has a pure white flesh and is very rich in healthy vitamins and minerals. I gladly recommend ‘Black Beauty’ for consumption in soups, stews and salads.

2. Eggplant ‘Ronde De Valence’

One of the most popular early medium vegetable heirlooms that I’ve grown and tasted is undoubtedly an eggplant variety called ‘Ronde De Valence’.

‘Ronde De Valence’ has a round shape for which it sometimes reminds me of a baseball. It prefers light sandy or clay loam, well-drained soil. When starting seeds do it indoors and wait for the seedlings to show before transplanting the plant into the outside ground.

3. Eggplant ‘Striped Tonga’

  This one looks like tiger’s stripes. ‘Striped Tonga’ is an ornamental, delicious veggie with a breathtaking looks. This eggplant variety gives small, oval shaped fruits. 

‘Striped Tonga’ is a good indoor growing option if you want to add a decoration quality to your windowsills and balconies. Fruits grow in clusters and can be eaten raw, baked or fried.

4. Ethiopian Eggplant

No, it’s not a pumpkin. And it’s not a tomato variety either; although it can be confused with the red indeterminate ‘Beefmaster VFN H’ tomato variety. Also known as the Ethiopian nightshade, Ethiopian eggplant has bright orange color fruits and it is mostly used for floral compositions.

The leaves of Ethiopian eggplant are more nutritious that the fruits and therefore are very popular for consuming, mostly in salads.

5. African Eggplant

The African continent is well known for its colorful flora and fauna. Wonderful looking vegetables like African eggplant confirm that Africa indeed is a birthplace of colors.

Given the looks of this rare, edible eggplant variety, I have to admit that it’s hard for me now not to eat the photo on the left side of the text. African eggplant can be grown both inside, in pots and outside, in well-drained, fertile soil with lots of sun.

Which eggplant variety do you prefer?