5+ Popular Plants That Look Like Eggs

Many plants look like eggs, poached, fried, or intact to blend with their surrounding nature. Nonetheless, they make a great addition to your garden or sometimes have culinary uses.

Read on to identify plants that look like eggs and whether they are edible.

Know About Plants Looking Like Eggs

Are you mesmerized by the shape of some plant’s flower or fruit because they resemble eggs?

Here are a few plausible reasons why a plant would resemble eggs.

1. Evolutionary advantage: Some animals or birds may be naturally drawn to the egg-like shape, mistaking the plant’s structures for a potential food source and ensuring pollination or seed dispersal in return.
2. Mimicry: Some plants have evolved to mimic eggs as protective camouflage to blend in with their surroundings, making it harder for predators to detect and consume them.
3. Seed protection: The shape can be a physical barrier against predators from reaching the seeds, decreasing the risk of damage or being eaten.

Nonetheless, you can choose from different egg look-alikes to grow for consuming or simply decorating a landscape.

5+ Popular Plants That Look Like Eggs

Are wondering about plants that bear egg-like fruits or flowers and what makes them unique.

Here are seven examples of plants looking like eggs.

1. Poached Eggplant

The first on our list is the poached egg plant (Limnanthes douglasii) which resembles a cooked egg.

An annual flowering plant from California and Oregon blooms with a yellow or golden center surrounded by five white petals resembling a poached egg.

Also known as Douglas’ meadowfoam, poached egg plants are late spring to summer bloomers producing beautiful flowers that attract bees and hoverflies.

They grow well in any outdoor garden and borders and help reduce pest colonies around the vegetables.

Alternatively, you can grow them in a container, but provide at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, well-draining neutral pH soil, and avoid cold drafts.

Employ weekly watering in spring and summer and dead spent flowers to boost the flowering.

Interesting Fact: These flowers are non-toxic and can also be grown in children’s gardens.

2. Eggplant Tree

Eggplant, aubergine, or brinjal, whatever you may prefer, is a popular edible fruit used in various cuisines.

Scientifically called Solanum melongena, this fruit-bearing tree grows edible fruits in the shape of eggs, hence the name “eggplant.”

Did you know eggplant is believed to have originated in India about 4,000 years ago?

It later spread to other parts of the world. Now, it is widely available in the US, where it widely grows in USDA zones 8-11.

Depending on the variety, Eggplant trees can grow as tall as 2-4 feet, boasting large, broad leaves with a deep green color and showy, purple, or white flowers.

However, it is known for its oval-shaped or elongated fruit that grows from a few inches to a foot in deep purple to white or sometimes striped colors.

As a vegetable plant, it is entirely edible and safe to grow as a garden or container plant.

Remember to provide 6-8 hours of direct sun with warm temperatures (70°F and 85°F) and well-draining neutral soil (6.0-7.0) to enjoy healthy egg-like fruiting every summer or autumn.

Note: Do not forget to harvest the fruiting every August or September before they begin to decay.

3. Matilija Poppy

Coulter’s Matilija Poppy, or Romneya coulteri, is a popular perennial flowering plant native to Southern California and northern Baja.

Named after the Matilija Creek in Ventura County, California, it has long been admired for its extensive and striking flowers resembling a fried egg.

The plant grows to 6-10 feet, boasting exceptionally large and showy flowers with six white petals resembling tissue paper surrounding a central cluster of golden stamens.

• Their flowers can reach up to 6 inches in diameter, making them large and best grown as summer garden plants.
• Remember, the plant’s sap can be toxic to humans and animals; hence, they are better kept at bay.
• Provide them 6-8 hours of direct sunlight with well-draining, acidic (5.0-7.0) soil, and hot to dry weather.
• As a drought-tolerant plant, you can water them sparingly, but remember to deadhead the spent flowers in summer to encourage prolonged blooming.

4. Fried Egg Tree

Gordonia axillaris, commonly known as the “Fried Egg Plant,” is a small rounded tree native to China.

You can grow them as garden or landscaping plants as they will quickly grow over 15 feet and spread to a similar width.

However, the most distinctive feature of Gordonia axillaris is its large, showy flowers with white petals surrounding a bright yellow center.

• When matured, the flowers can reach about 3-5 inches in diameter.
• Remember to provide full sun or partial shade at least 6 hours daily with well-draining, acidic soil and moderate temperature.
• Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during hot and dry periods. Regular watering is essential in the first few years of growth.
• Deadhead and prune the plant as necessary to maintain or restrict its shape.

5. Easter Egg

The Easter egg plant (Solanum ovigerum) is a new species few gardeners know about.

In fact, it is a miniaturized eggplant tree that produces white fruits in the shape of eggs but later develops into colored eggs in shades of yellow and orange.

As a miniature plant, it boasts tiny fruit that starkly resembles hen’s eggs and lacks an eggplant’s signature deep purple color and oblong structure.

• The application remains the same as the regular eggplant. You can use it for various culinary purposes.
• The plant hardly grows over 2 feet, displays large, showy leaves in green, and chartreuse/yellow flowers in summer.
• Remember to provide full sun, well-draining soil with weekly watering, and regular pruning each spring and summer.
• It can withstand cool temperatures typical to USDA zones 4-10 but keep them frost-free to ensure healthy growth and fruiting.

6. Passion fruit

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is a tropical vining species native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.

Remember, a vigorous climber will grow over 20 feet when provided with trellis support. However, you can keep them short by planting them in a container or through regular pruning.

The fruit size can vary depending on the cultivar, but passion fruits are average 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

Passion fruit is a rewarding plant to grow, providing delicious fruits and beautiful flowers. Here is a video to help you start growing one.

As a tropical species, they thrive in warm weather with ample humidity. Provide full sun with well-draining, neutral soil (6.0-7.5 pH) and water regularly to keep them looking healthy.