12355 Solanum melonga – Egg Tree

Description

Many plants related to the Egg Tree are grown as vegetables in the tropics. The Egg Tree belongs to the Aubergine family. It grows to a height of 40 to 50 cm, produces 3 – 5 cm big, light-blue or intensively red-violet flowers and has oval-shaped leaves. After bloom, the plant produces little balls that grow bigger and bigger and soon resemble hen‘s eggs. This is of course where the name of the plant derives from: Egg Tree. After some time the fruits turn yellow-orange and finally violet in colour. The Egg Tree is an ornamental plant. The fruits are not edible. They are not poisonous but do not really taste good.