Friends, rather than selling and shipping seeds, we now share seeds as an embodied gift practice. Learn how to receive seeds from us & here are our FAQs.
Rosso di Napoli Eggplant
65-72 days to harvest
Solanum aethiopicum
HEIRLOOM Gorgeous, abundant and utterly delectable, this exquisite eggplant is beloved throughout the Mediterranean and especially in Ethiopia! Though most photographed as brilliant orange and glossy as can be, Rosso di Napoli is most succulent and sweet fruits turn from green to cream. Far sweeter than most eggplant varieties, we never salt Rosso di Napoli and love them tucked into ratatouille and simmered in coconut milk, taking care to not cook them at temps higher than ~300 F / 150 C which bring out bitterness in otherwise buttery, sweet fruit. Compared to Turkish Orange, the fruits of Rosso di Napoli are larger on average though still darling and petite, often the size of a plum to tennis ball.
You’ll soon see their leaves are serrated, notably unique compared to all other eggplant we’ve ever seen and indeed: Rosso di Napoli is a different species than purple and white eggplant. Though we generally don’t need to stake or trellis eggplant, we’ve found Rosso di Napoli to be so prolific that staking helps the sheer abundance of fruit from breaking branches, it’s true! Even the tender buttons of fruit we love to harvest before our first fall frost for a warm, sumptuous curry to welcome autumn.
Organic Rosso di Napoli Eggplant
Planting Method: Transplant Only
When to sow: Sow indoors, 6-8 weeks before final frost
Seed Depth: 1/4 inch Days to Germination: 7-14 at 80°F (26°C)
Sowing and seedling care: We recommend sowing in soil blocks and on heat mats. Good light is essential: Younger, less stressed seedlings are healthier and more abundant than older, more stressed seedlings. Increase pot size as they grow. Eggplants are heavy feeders, so nourish them with nutrient-dense soil as well as fish and kelp emulsion for an abundant harvest.
When to transplant: Harden off and transplant after final frost. Continue fertilizing throughout the season and use row cover to boost performance; remove when they flower.
Transplant Spacing: 18 inches Sun Needs: Full
Though we generally don’t need to stake or trellis eggplant, we’ve found Rosso di Napoli to be so prolific that staking helps the sheer abundance of fruit from breaking branches, it’s true! Even the tender buttons of fruit we love to harvest before our first fall frost for a warm, sumptuous curry to welcome autumn.
Days to Harvest: 65
Height: 2-3 feet
Harvest… and cook!: Far sweeter than most eggplant varieties, we never salt Rosso di Napoli and love them tucked into ratatouille and simmered in coconut milk, taking care to not cook them at temps higher than ~300 F / 150 C which bring out bitterness in otherwise buttery, sweet fruit.
Videos
To view and download Fruition's entire archive of Growing Guides, eBooks & more, hop over to our free Growing Library:
Jenny (verified owner) –
Calgary, Canada: Canadian zone 3b. I have had this outdoors in a pot, south side of the house, and it has survived down to 2C overnight! (That’s 35.6F) growing well, with large lush leaves, which are not serrated, though the summary says it is. Only problem is I can’t find how tall and wide to expect this to grow!! What to do?!
Matthew Goldfarb –
depending on soil, climate and fertility the plants tend to be a bout 16″ wide and 2.5′ tall