Solanum melongena Duck Eggs are also knows as Japanese White Egg eggplant is a traditional Japanese heirloom. While eggplants as a whole were first domesticated in Southeast Asia and India, this specific white, egg-shaped cultivar was preserved and refined in Japan over centuries before being introduced to the West. It reached Europe and the Americas in the late 1700s and early 1800s, where it famously gave the eggplant its English name because the clusters of fruit so closely resembled poultry eggs.
It was one of the earliest to be documented in the United States. Thomas Jefferson recorded growing white-fruited eggplants at Monticello as early as 1812. During the 19th century, most white eggplants were relegated to ornamental status in seed catalogs, as the larger purple varieties became the commercial standard for cooking. However, the Japanese White Egg remained a staple in Asian home gardens and was eventually rediscovered by heirloom seed savers in the late 20th century who prized its thin skin and lack of bitterness compared to its purple cousins.
The plant itself is a determinate bush, which means it has a set mature height—typically 2 to 3 feet—and stops upward growth to focus its energy on fruit production. It is highly productive in full sun, often yielding dozens of 2-to-3-inch fruits in a single season. Because it is a true heirloom, the seeds are open-pollinated, meaning you can save the seeds from the yellow, over-ripened fruit to plant the following year and get the exact same characteristics.
The fruit is harvested when it is the size of a duck egg and still pure white; if left on the branch too long, the skin toughens and the seeds become prominent. It matures much faster, roughly 65 days from transplant, than larger Mediterranean or Globe types, making it a reliable choice for gardeners in regions with shorter summers.
These rare heirloom seeds are available directly from Garden Faerie Botanicals in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. The collection features heirloom and heritage seeds that are personally cultivated organically without the use of any chemicals. Emphasizing historical, rare, non-GMO seeds, this selection preserves biodiversity through open-pollination.
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