The egg tree is an ornamental potted plant in the nightshade family whose fruit resembles an egg

The egg tree is actually an ornamental eggplant in the genus Solanum of the nightshade family. It gets its name because its fruit is white and oval, and from a distance looks like eggs hanging on the branches, so some people also call it the white egg eggplant or gold-and-silver eggplant. It is not a true tree, but a herbaceous plant; although the young fruit is edible, it is mostly grown for ornamental purposes.

The advantages of the egg tree are its compact shape and long fruiting period. From summer to autumn it keeps producing fruit on its branches, and the fruit color turns from white to yellow, looking very attractive set among the green leaves. It likes a warm environment and plenty of sunlight, is not cold-tolerant, and is suitable for spring sowing or buying seedlings to pot up; placing it on a balcony, windowsill or in a courtyard is very fitting.

For care, the egg tree likes loose, fertile, well-drained soil. Water it by letting the soil dry out between waterings, and never let water accumulate in the pot. During the growing season you can apply light fertilizer frequently, with an appropriate supplement of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which helps flowering and fruit set. Sunlight must be sufficient; if the environment is too shady, the plant tends to grow leggy and both flowering and fruiting will decrease. Also pay attention to ventilation, and deal promptly with pests such as aphids and red spider mites.

It should be noted that the egg tree's fruit turning from white to yellow is a normal sign of ripening. If you want a longer ornamental period, you can pick off the old fruit in time to encourage new fruit to grow. If it only flowers but does not set fruit, it is most likely caused by insufficient light or poor pollination due to poor ventilation; after adjusting its position, things will usually improve.