Black Beauty eggplant

Black Beauty eggplant is an heirloom Italian varietal that bears a large, classic, glossy fruit that can weigh up to 2 pounds each. It’s popular in southern gardens where tropical weather provides ideal growing conditions for eggplant, however it can grow in U.S. planting zones as low as zone 3. In cooking, it’s delicious grilled and baked, and can easily be grown, like all eggplants, in containers. Gardeners love the large flowers in their ornamental edible gardens.

Days to maturity

• 80 days

Sun Exposure

• full sun

Soil pH

• 6.2 to 6.8

Hardiness Zones

• zones 3 to 9

Spacing

• plants: 18 to 24 inches apart
• rows: 30 to 36 inches apart

Moisture

• 1 inch per week

Sow Indoors

• eight to 10 weeks before planting

Transplant Outdoors

• harden by reducing water and temperature to 60 degrees F for one week before transplanting
• transplant late spring/early summer
• once soil is consistently 55 degrees F
• use row covers for best success, to keep soil warm, and remove once plants blossom

Notes

• prefers loamy, sandy soil
• needs stakes and/or eggplant cages
• clipping fruits encourages more production
• Galine eggplant is a similar varietal that ripens more quickly

Have you ever grown Black Beauty eggplants? Please tell us about your experiences.