Easter Egg Plant

Q: Someone gave me seeds for an Easter Egg Plant. In the spring it had blooms, then small white seed pods which grew to the size of a small egg. In August they turned yellow and now they are turning brown. If I had the official name of this plant, maybe I could do more research on how best to grow it. My grandchildren are fascinated.

A: Easter Egg Plant is in the same family as angel trumpet, tomatoes and Jerusalem cherry: the nightshade family. Its scientific name is Solanum ovigerum. The fruit is remarkably similar to a hen’s egg but it is not edible. To confuse matters, there are also varieties of the edible, culinary eggplant, Solanum melongena, which have small white fruit. Like the other members of this common garden plant family, Easter Egg Plant is an annual. You can save seed from the fruit as they wither on the plant and try your luck planting them for the grandchildren in your garden again next year.