Black Beauty Eggplant

Solanum melongena (nightshade)

The classic supermarket-shape eggplant — large, oval, deep purple, glossy. A reliable American heirloom dating to the early 1900s and still the standard most home gardeners grow. Fruit reaches 20–25cm and up to 1kg each, with thin tender skin you don't need to peel. Excellent flavour and classic texture suit everything eggplant traditionally does — moussaka, parmigiana, ratatouille, baba ghanoush, slow-cooked stews.


Days to harvest 75-80 days
Fruit size Up to 25cm, 750g–1kg
Sowing depth 6mm
Germination 7–14 days at 24–32 °C
Spacing 70cm apart in rows 80cm apart
Aspect Full sun, moist well-drained soil
Frost tolerance Frost sensitive — needs reliably warm nights

Growing notes

Choose a full-sun spot with shelter from cold winds. Black Beauty stays under 1m tall, making it manageable in beds or large containers.

Soil preparation: Amend soil with aged compost or well-rotted manure to ensure fertility and drainage; maintain a pH between 5.5 and 6.8.

Support: Stake securely at planting — the heavy fruit can topple unstaked plants, especially in wind. Tip-prune when the plant reaches 20cm to encourage bushier growth and more fruit.

Watering & feeding: Water deeply 2–3 times a week to keep soil evenly moist but not soggy; feed fortnightly with a balanced fertiliser high in potassium once flowering begins. Side-dress with compost mid-season.

Harvest: Pick when fruit is shiny, smooth, and slightly immature — skin should still be glossy and seeds inside light-coloured and soft. Overripe fruit loses its shine, develops dark hard seeds, and turns bitter. Cut with secateurs leaving a short stem.

Timing: Expect first harvest 75–80 days after transplanting. Regular picking encourages more flowers and extends production.

Key features

  • Open-pollinated American heirloom
  • Classic large oval glossy purple-black fruit
  • Fruit to 20–25cm and up to 1kg
  • Thin tender edible skin — no need to peel
  • Heavy bearer — 6-10 fruit per plant
  • Early variety for its size — reliable in cooler climates

Short season tips

Best started indoors on heat mats — eggplants need 24–32 °C heat to germinate. Sow 6–8 weeks before the last frost or purchase as 6–8-week-old seedlings. Transplant into the garden when soil temperature has reliably warmed to at least 15°C (ideally 18°C or above) to avoid plant stalling. Black Beauty's relatively early maturity and compact habit make it one of the more reliable larger aubergines for cool inland NSW.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Tender perennial — most often grown as an annual

  • Marigolds Beans Nasturtiums
  • Other nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, capsicums)

An American heirloom released by Burpee Seeds in 1902, though some sources trace the variety back to selections from 1875. Bred for the home market and quickly became the standard eggplant grown across the English-speaking world — the variety most older gardeners learnt on. Still the eggplant most commonly seen in supermarkets today, descended from this hundred-year-old line.