Customer Service Hours
Mon-Fri 8-4 MST
Features
Family
Solanaceae
Native
Asia
Life Cycle
Annual
Plant Height
Tall (Greater than 24")
Further Information
Growing Conditions
Frost Sensitive
About Eggplant
Solanum melongena
5"–6 ½" oblong, 1–3 lb. fruit with smooth, glossy purplish-black skin, off-white to tan interior. In the late 1800s, the 'Black Pekin' Chinese eggplant was crossed with 'Large Early Purple', creating 'Imperial Black Beauty', also known as 'Black Beauty', the largest eggplant grown today.
Planting Eggplant
Plant Spacing
Start indoors
Light Required
Full sun
Plant Height
Tall (Greater than 24")
Planting Depth
¼"
Coverage & Planting Details
| Coverage | This packet yields approximately 40 plants when started indoors. |
|---|---|
| Row Spacing | 36" |
| Seed Depth | ¼" |
| Seed Spacing | Start indoors |
| Thinning | Start indoors; plant 18" apart outside |
| Germination | 10–20 days |
| Start Indoors | RECOMMENDED. 10 to 12 weeks before your average last frost date. Transplant outdoors 1 to 2 weeks after last frost, when soil temperature is at least 60°F, and outside night air temperature is above 60°F. |
| Direct Sow | 2 to 4 weeks after your average last frost date, when soil temperature is at least 70°F, ideally 80°–90°F, and when outside night air temperature is above 60°F. |
| Growing & Harvesting | Black Beauty' should be harvested when the fruit is 5"–6 ½" long and the skin is still shiny. If you are in doubt about maturity level, note that it's better to harvest eggplants a little young rather than wait until they are overly mature with dull skin, eventually possibly turning a golden color, with a lot of seeds, and bitter taste. To harvest, cut the stem with pruners. Frequent harvesting will encourage more production and the largest fruit. |
Find Your Frost Date & Grow Zone
Average First Frost Date
October 19
Average Last Frost Date
May 19
Your Hardiness Zone is
5b
Send Your Recommendation
Total 5 star reviews: 7 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
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Rating
8 reviews
- Sabrina J.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars3/11/26Black Beauty Eggplants
This will be the 6th year I have been planting these seeds and they produce reliable results. Lots of beautiful fruit and really pretty flowers. It is our favorite.
Which best describes you as a gardener? ExpertBIBotanical Interests3/15/26Hey Sabrina,
6 years of growing our Black Beauty Eggplant Seeds - that's incredible loyalty and we're absolutely thrilled to be part of your garden year after year! It means the world to us to know that you've found such reliable results with these seeds and that they've become your favorite. Thank you for choosing us season after season and for sharing this wonderful long-term success story with us. Keep on growing 🌻️
- Lawrence S.NJ, United StatesVerified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars9/20/25Abundance
I’ve been harvesting eggplant for weeks and they just keep coming.
Which best describes you as a gardener? BeginnerWho do you grow for? YourselfHow do you prefer to grow? Container - MercedesVerified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars1/27/255 Stars
These seeds germinated in 6 days. I don't like clutter and I don't like to buy extraneous paraphernalia to clutter my house. So I just used the clear plastic clamshell from work cafeteria when I buy my lunch. I put them over my A/C vent propped over 3 books to get to bright light. Voila it worked for me. Botanical Gardens seeds are cheaper than big box stores
- Joy D.Verified BuyerRated 4 out of 5 stars9/9/244 Stars
lOVE GARDENING AND LOVE YOUR SEEDS.
Which best describes you as a gardener? Intermediate - Jessica P.Rated 5 out of 5 stars9/2/245 Stars
Love LoVE this black beauty plant. This is the second year I planted an egg plant. Egg plants are so much fun to add to the plate for their nutrition and color. My kids had no idea they were eating it until I actually told them! Highly recommend to anyone looking for another recipe that has many similar flavors like squash.