Wednesday's Flower
Wednesday's Story
Cortona, Italy…
We traveled there late in October. To my dismay, but not a total surprise, all of the fields had been cleared of the much loved sunflowers of Tuscany. Fortunately though, at our hotel, Villa di Piazzano, a garden was still producing fresh vegetables for the chef’s meals. It also provided me with a violet bloom that is probably, more often than not, overlooked.
points of interest
Upright, shrubby plant with green to purple-gray simple leaves, up to 8” long. Violet flowers are drooping bell-shaped, with yellow stamens, appearing in spring and developing into large white to purple, spongy, edible (only as cooked) berries in summer.
general care
Start seed indoors and transplant outside in full sun when soil is warm. Water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly. Fruit ripens in an average of 65 days.
friday’s flower fact
Eggplant, Potatoes and Tomatoes are the same genus, along with Deadly Nightshade. Plant parts other than those commonly consumed are toxic.
Botanical Name | Solanum melongena
Family | Solanaceae
Type | Short-lived perennial
Origin | Africa, Asia
Zone | 11
Flower Height | 24-36”
Flower Diameter | 1.5”
photographed @
Tuscany, Italy
