Florida Market Eggplant, Heirloom Seeds

Bring glossy purple eggplants from your summer garden straight to the grill, skillet, or baking dish. Florida Market is an open-pollinated heirloom known for vigorous, well-branched plants and large teardrop to bell-shaped fruit. Its warm-climate reputation makes it a worthwhile choice for gardeners with a long, warm growing season.

Why Grow Florida Market?

• Large, glossy purple fruit: Classic Italian-style eggplants with a rounded blossom end and narrower neck.
• Versatile summer cooking: Mild, creamy flesh for grilling, baking, frying, stuffing, and casseroles.
• Vigorous plants: Upright, branching growth commonly reaches about 30–38 inches tall.
• Warm-season performance: A variety with a history of cultivation in hot Southern climates; consistent moisture and good care still matter.
• Open-pollinated heirloom: Developed in Florida in 1948 and suitable for gardeners interested in seed saving.

Growing Notes

Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before your last expected frost. Transplant after frost danger has passed and soil and weather are warm. Choose full sun and well-drained soil, and water consistently. Space plants about 24 inches apart; allow 1 plant per 4 sq ft in a square-foot bed. Support branches if developing fruit makes them lean.

Plan approximately 80–90 days from transplanting, allowing for differences in weather, growing method, and harvest size. Plants may continue cropping through warm weather until frost, but heat tolerance does not mean immunity to heat stress or disease.

Harvest Details

Pick fruit while the skin is glossy and the flesh gives slightly to gentle pressure. Cut the stem rather than pulling the fruit. Harvest size varies: suppliers describe fruit around 6–9½ inches long, so use gloss and tenderness rather than waiting for a fixed maximum size.

Packed and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC.