Multiply-conjoined aubergine (With photos!)

[ddiogyn]

Should i remove it or leave it be? I'm afraid it'll monopolise the plant's energy. This plant seems to have a particular problem with fused flowers/fruits, i've cut off several already (this one didn't look like it'd be fused, had a normally-sized flower, one stamen etc, but now looks like multiple aubergines growing as one! Could it be that this type of growth is normal for the variety (Black Prince); there is one 'normal'-looking aubergine growing on the same plant).

Side on:


And from below:

[frogga]

Ive got the same on one of our plants. It is growing much slower that the other Aubergines, but I have left it for the last 2 weeks and may just leave it to see what happens.

[frogdoctor]

How unusual..please let us know what you do and how things progress.. I have a double stem (conjoined) with two flowers on one of my marrow plants..going to let mine grow though!

[ddiogyn]

I don't like aubergine so i would just let it grow and display it as a curio, however, i've promised the entire crop to somebody so i'll probably cut it off and allow only the more conventional-looking aubergines to grow.

[maypril]

How unusual..please let us know what you do and how things progress.. I have a double stem (conjoined) with two flowers on one of my marrow plants..going to let mine grow though!

[selfraising]

This looks to me like a variety I have in my seed packets called Prospero which is meant to look like that.

[OllieMartin]

ROFL!
I work as a trainer for the NHS and ALL of our lesson plans are written in Comic Sans...drives me mental.

[SueA]

Hi ddiogyn,
I remembered your photo of your aubergine the other day when I saw a photo of one in a magazine, the variety was 'Rosa Bianca' & it looked like a paler version of yours. That variety is supposed to be round to oval in shape but some do look the same as yours especially when they're small. I don't think yours is conjoined fruits at all, it's just the way some of them develop. I hope you haven't taken it off anyway as it would be fine to eat. Here's a link to a photo of 'Rosa Bianca' which shows one which has the same features as yours along with some other smoother ones. Maybe the variety you have is one which forms the same way, I bet the person you're giving the crop to won't mind as long as it tastes alright!
Eggplant Growing :: Harvest to Table

[ddiogyn]

@SueA

Thanks for the info and pic. It's difficult to know what's normal when even google has no info on the variety (Black Prince - it was a gift, bought from Homebase). I didn't remove it in the end and have now harvested it. Wasn't sure if it was ready, but thought it would speed up the others (15 developing fruit, and many more flowers, before i pruned it down and removed all the flowers and most sideshoots and growing tips off all the remaining sideshoots).

Here it is:


... and earlier in the day:

[SueA]

It looks lovely anyway doesn't it, looking at the rest of the fruits on the plant they all look slightly different shapes & colours so maybe Black Prince is just one that varies a lot, as long as they taste O.K. when you cook them I don't suppose it matters what shape they are.

[deltz]

I had the exact same thing, I too was baffled thinking there was a seed mixup! Picked it off about the same size and made a nice curry out of it!

[Speed Gardener]

Hermaphrodite courgette?

Whilst we're on the subject of deformaties,this is the biggest of three mutant courgettes I've had on one bush, they had a long stalk like the male flowers but with a fruit growing on the end. I'm not sure what the white lump on the end is, I'll slice it down the middle and post a section picture later. The plant has now reverted to producing normal courgettes..

[chris]

You wanna stop smoking around your plants, Speed Gardener

[ddiogyn]

... as long as they taste O.K...

I doubt even the most perfectly formed aubergine could entice me to eat one willingly! I only have the plant because it was given to me, while i'll be giving away the fruit once harvested. Shame really, because it does look good