How to Grow and Care for Ground Cherries

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ground cherry, (genus Physalis), genus of some 80 species of small herbaceous plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), the majority of which are native to the New World. The berries of some ground cherry species are edible, and several species are commercially important as food crops, including the Cape gooseberry, or goldenberry (Physalis peruviana); the husk tomato (P. pruinosa); and the tomatillo (P. philadelphica). Chinese lantern (P. alkekengi) is grown as an ornamental.

Ground cherries are annuals or perennials with simple leaves that feature entire or irregularly toothed margins. The flowers are solitary and somewhat bell-shaped with five petals. The genus is noted for the inflated baglike calyx (fused sepals), which encloses a fleshy berry similar to a tomato; the calyx occasionally becomes bright orange-red at maturity.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

How to Grow and Care for Ground Cherries

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and horticulturist with over 30 years of experience in organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia’s Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column.

Ground cherries (Physalis pruinosa) are not very well known, despite their long history in North America. The popular heirloom variety Aunt Molly’s has been cultivated by Pennsylvania Germans since the 1800s. Meanwhile, they are easy to grow in the garden with minimal pest and disease problems. Their small, yellow-orange fruits have a sweet-tart flavor similar to pineapple with a faint background flavor of tomato. In fact, ground cherries are part of the same plant family, Solanaceae, as tomatoes. Because the fruit grows inside a husk that has a faint resemblance to a tomato when green, it is also called husk tomato. Despite their common name, the plants are not related to true cherries (Prunus spp.).

Ground cherry plants look like small, sprawling shrubs with bright green leaves that have toothed edges. They sport yellow flowers in the summer before bearing fruit in the late summer to early fall wrapped in a papery husk, much like their relative, the tomatillo.

Plant ground cherries in the spring. As annuals, they have a fast growth rate and complete their life cycle in one season. Before planting, note that all parts of ground cherry plants except the fruit are toxic to people and pets.

Types of Ground Cherries

There are a few varieties of ground cherries, including:

• ‘Aunt Molly’s’: This is the most commonly available variety, and it has an upright, bushy growth habit.
• ‘Cossack Pineapple’: This variety has a distinct tangy-sweet flavor, much like a pineapple.
• ‘Goldie’: This variety is quite similar to ‘Aunt Molly’s’ except that it is slightly more low-growing and spreading.

Ground Cherry vs. Tomatillo

Ground cherries and tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa) have similar features and the nomenclature can be a bit confusing because tomatillos are often referred to as Mexican husk tomatoes whereas ground cherries are called husk tomatoes. They are both part of the same genus, and their fruits both grow in a papery husk. However, ground cherries are typically smaller than tomatillos. And they are yellow or orange whereas tomatillos are green.

Ground Cherry vs. Gooseberry

Another member of the Physalis genus is the cape gooseberry, also known as goldenberry (Physalis peruviana). The botanical name indicates their origin, they are, just like ground cherries, native to the Americas. Cape gooseberries are unrelated to European gooseberries but they are very similar to ground cherries (and the names are often used interchangeably). The stems of the plant are stiffer than those of the ground cherry and not prostrate and sprawling but more upright.

Harvesting Ground Cherries

The plant gets its common name, ground cherry, because you typically harvest its fruits from the ground and not straight off the plant. Each plant produces around a pint of fruit per growing season in the late summer and into fall. When the fruit is ripe, the husk dries up, turns from green to tan, and drops from the plant with the fruit still inside. Some growers place a cloth or containers under their plants to catch the fruits and make harvesting easier. Try to pick up the fallen fruit often. If it’s left on the ground and breaks open, you might have ground cherry seedlings popping up everywhere.

Ground cherries are often used fresh, such as in salads, or cooked in sauces and more. They can keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. They also can be frozen in an airtight container and will stay good for several months.

How to Grow Ground Cherries in Pots

Growing ground cherries in a container allows you to move the plant into sufficient sunlight as needed, as well as to protect it more easily from severe storms that might damage your crop. Be sure to choose a container that is at least 8 inches deep to allow for the plant’s fairly large root system. The container also should have drainage holes. An unglazed clay container is ideal to allow excess soil moisture to escape through its walls.

Propagating Ground Cherries

Ground cherries are typically propagated via seeds. But they also can be grown from cuttings. This is an easy and inexpensive way to start a new plant. The best time to take a cutting is in the late spring to early summer. Here’s how:

1. Take a 4- to 6-inch stem cutting, and remove any foliage on the lower half.
2. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone.
3. Plant the cutting in a small container with drainage holes that’s filled with soilless potting mix. Place the cutting in a warm spot with bright, indirect light.
4. Keep the growing medium consistently moist but not soggy, and roots should form in a couple weeks. Once you see new growth on the stem, you’ll know it’s ready for transplanting.

How to Grow Ground Cherries From Seed

To start your ground cherries from seed indoors, plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in an organic seed-starting mix. It can be helpful to plant them in biodegradable seed cells that you can then just plant in your garden without having to transplant the seedlings.

Keep your seeds in a warm spot that remains between 75 and 85 degrees, and make sure the soil stays consistently moist but not soggy. The seeds should germinate in about two weeks. Keep the seedlings by a sunny window, and maintain soil moisture until your area is past its last frost date. Then, you can take your seedlings outdoors for progressively longer stretches for about a week to acclimate them to the direct sunlight before planting in your garden.

To start plants outdoors, wait until your spring temperatures are reliably warm. Then, plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in your garden soil, and lightly water them every day to keep the soil moist until they sprout.

Potting and Repotting Ground Cherries

An organic potting mix made specifically for fruits and vegetables will work well for potting ground cherries. You generally won’t have to repot your plant during the growing season unless you are transplanting a young plant in a small container into something larger. If that’s the case, plant it at the same depth it was in its previous container, and fill around it with potting mix.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

In general, ground cherry plants are hardier against pests and diseases than tomatoes and tomatillos. However, they still can struggle with some of the same issues as their cousins. Specifically, whiteflies, flea beetles, hornworms, and cutworms might attack the plants, especially if they are weakened during a period of drought. And fungal issues can occur if there’s not good air circulation around the plants. Proper growing conditions can help to prevent many issues.

Ground cherries grow quickly and will be ready to harvest in the summer after a spring planting, 75 to 90 days after starting them from seed.

Ground cherries are grown as annuals so the same plants won’t come back but they reseed themselves prolifically. To prevent ground cherry seedlings from popping up all over your garden, harvest all the fruit and remove any that has dropped to the ground.

Use fully ripe ground cherries only and remove the husks. Cut the fruit open and squeeze the pulp with the seeds into a bowl. Discard the skins. Add cold water and stir until the seeds separate from the pulp. When the seeds have settled at the bottom of the bowl, pour off the pulpy water. Repeat until all the pulp has been removed from around the seeds. Place the seeds in a fine strainer and rinse under cold water. Drain well, then place seeds in a single layer on a plate lined with paper towels. Let the seeds fully air-dry for a few days, then store them in a paper bag or container in a cool, dry place.

Ground cherries are fairly easy to grow, as long as you provide them with sufficient sunlight and moisture.

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