'Little Green' Eggplant - Solanum melongena

'Little Green' Eggplant – early-ripening rarity with neon-green fruits. 

This extraordinary, early-ripening eggplant produces rare neon-green fruits with a fine, slightly sweet and aromatic flavor. It is ideally suited for cultivation in greenhouses, protected outdoor beds, and pots. More cold-tolerant than other eggplants, productive and open-pollinated - perfect for self-sufficiency and ecological gardening.

  Origin & History

'Little Green' is an open-pollinated eggplant from Russia and belongs to the special old and very early varieties. Its exact origin is not clearly documented; however, it was selected from older lines and later spread internationally under the name 'Little Green'. The variety emerged at a time when robust, cold-tolerant eggplants were in high demand for cooler growing regions. For decades, it has been preserved and passed on by seed initiatives and conservation organizations.

Today, thanks to ecological seed initiatives, it is once again enjoying growing popularity and is considered a historical rarity. Characteristic are its extraordinary neon-green color and teardrop-shaped fruits – at the time a completely new appearance that quickly made it a horticultural curiosity. With its fine, slightly sweet aroma, it remains to this day an enrichment for the diversity of gardens, with great significance for freely accessible, non-patented cultivated plants.

  Appearance & Characteristics

The plant grows compact and upright, reaching about 70 cm in height and bearing strong, dark-green foliage. It produces numerous fruit clusters and stands out for its uniform development.

Fruit details:

• Size: Medium to large, approx. 250-300 g per fruit

• Shape: Teardrop-shaped, about 20 cm long

• Color: Neon-green, even when fully ripe

• Texture: Firm and juicy

• Flavor: Fine, slightly sweet and aromatic – versatile in use

 Usage & Cultivation Highlights

The fruits are excellent for fresh consumption, cooking, frying, grilling, and especially for stuffing. Their striking color makes them a real eye-catcher in vegetable dishes and adds a distinctive visual and culinary touch to meals.

Thanks to its compact growth and resilience, the variety thrives reliably in greenhouses, protected outdoor beds, and pots. It ripens early, produces abundant fruits, and is easy to care for. Even in changeable weather it delivers stable yields. Its cold tolerance makes it particularly suitable for cooler regions.

Compared to other eggplants, Little Green is especially early-ripening, decorative, and robust – ideal for anyone who values open-pollinated eggplants with exceptional appearance and origin.