Ground cherry

Sun

Full sun; choose a warm, sheltered position in cooler climates.

Water

Water regularly while plants establish, then whenever the upper soil begins to dry. Keep moisture reasonably even during flowering and fruiting without leaving the roots waterlogged.

Soil

Well-drained loam or sandy soil enriched with modest amounts of compost; tolerates poorer soil but dislikes wet, heavy ground.

Height

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Flowers

Small, nodding yellow flowers with dark centres from summer into autumn.

Foliage

Soft, slightly hairy green leaves, broadly oval with irregularly toothed or wavy edges.

Growth

Fast in warm weather.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   2 ft (0.6 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant out after frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed, spacing plants 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) apart.
• Water at soil level during dry spells; avoid repeatedly soaking the foliage.
• Apply a clean straw mulch to conserve moisture and keep fallen fruit off bare soil.
• Use compost before planting; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages leafy growth at the expense of fruit.
• Use a low cage or a few short supports if sprawling stems obstruct paths.
• Collect fallen fruit regularly and remove unwanted seedlings the following season.

Pruning. Routine pruning is unnecessary; do not remove side shoots as you would on a cordon tomato. During the growing season, trim only damaged stems or growth that blocks access.

Collect fruits when their husks become dry and tan and the fruits fall naturally to the ground, usually from midsummer until frost. Peel back the husk and eat only fully ripe yellow-gold fruit; discard green, damaged or mouldy fruit.

Late winter to early spring

Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before your expected last frost, using gentle warmth and bright light.

Spring

Pot seedlings on as needed and gradually harden them off before planting outside.

Late spring

Plant after frost danger has passed; water in and add low supports where needed.

Early summer

Mulch beneath the plants and water during dry periods.

Summer to autumn

Collect fallen, ripe fruit frequently and check plants for chewing insects.

Late autumn

Remove frost-killed plants and leftover fruit to limit volunteer seedlings.

• Plant along the sunny edge of a vegetable bed, allowing room for stems to spread.
• Grow in large containers on a warm patio, where fallen fruit is easy to collect.
• Use in a potager with basil, marigolds and other compact summer crops.
• Place in an informal edible border where its papery fruit husks add late-season interest.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Cottage garden, Farmhouse, Edible landscape, Homestead and Modern courtyard.

Plant it with: Basil, French marigold, Sweet alyssum, Nasturtium and Lettuce.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen for bees. Fallen ripe fruit may attract birds and small mammals.

• Flea beetles chew small holes in young leaves: protect seedlings with insect mesh, removing it when flowering begins.
• Aphids cluster on tender shoots: wash them off with water and encourage ladybirds and other predators.
• Leaf spots develop in damp, crowded growth: space plants well, water at soil level and remove badly affected leaves.
• Little ripe fruit in cool or short summers: start seedlings indoors and use the warmest sunny position or an unheated greenhouse.

Fully ripe fruit is edible for people. Leaves, stems and unripe fruit contain potentially toxic nightshade compounds and should not be eaten by people, cats, dogs or horses; ingestion may cause digestive upset and potentially more serious poisoning. Species-specific toxicity information for pets and horses is limited, so keep them from chewing the plants.

• Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana)

  Usually taller and more upright, with larger, softly hairy leaves and larger fruit; it is a tender perennial rather than a true annual.

• Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica)

  Usually bears much larger fruit that fills or splits the husk and is commonly harvested green for cooking.

• Chinese lantern (Alkekengi officinarum)

  A spreading perennial grown for conspicuous orange-red husks, rather than the dry tan husks of ripe ground cherries; do not treat it as an interchangeable edible crop.

Physalis comes from the Greek word for a bladder, referring to the inflated husk, while pruinosa means frosted or covered with a fine bloom.

Propagation. Grow from seed, sown indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Sow shallowly and keep at about 70-80°F (21-27°C); germination commonly takes 1-3 weeks. Self-sown seedlings may appear where fruit was left on the ground.

Accepted botanical name

Physalis pruinosa

Native range

Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast and Mexico Southwest.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.