Each berry, as large as a gold-coloured cherry, hangs inside a papery lantern that turns purple, then brown, and splits open when ripe: this is physalis (Physalis alkekengi), grown for edible fruits that are uniquely tasty at summer’s end. Give it full sun and wait until the fruits are very ripe, for picked early they leave a pasty, acidic taste.
| Name | Physalis alkekengi |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae or nightshade |
| Type | Perennial |
| Height | 20 to 32 inches (50 to 80 cm) |
| Exposure | Full sun, part sun |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Flowering | Late spring |
| Harvest | End summer → mid-fall |
Caring for physalis is easy and the medicinal properties of its berries are famous across the world.
Physalis is planted indifferently in fall or in spring.
You can find physalis planted in shrub or flower beds, in pots and also in the vegetable patch.
If you wish to sow, we suggest covered sowing at the very beginning of spring.
It’s possible to grow physalis in a pot or garden box, for instance on a terrace or balcony. However, you’ll have to fertilize often to get an abundant harvest, especially after the first year is over.
It’s possible to divide the clump in spring or sow seeds at the same time (see sowing physalis above).
Physalis cuttings will root quite well, too.
Once properly settled in, physalis requires little care.
It is preferable to only water in case of extreme heat waves or long dry spells.
Adding tomato plant fertilizer with the same doses as the packaging label shows will enhance your physalis’ growth.
At the end of the growing season, you can speed up fruit ripening. Simply pinch the head off stems to focus all the sap on the fruits.
Although it isn’t often under attack by parasites and diseases, physalis might occasionally show signs of:
Physalis also serves as a host for Septoria, even though the plant itself doesn’t suffer from it. This can then hop over to tomato, potato and eggplant to infect them.
Water physalis at the base rather than overhead and keep the foliage dry, since the fungal leaf spots and blights that affect it generally need prolonged leaf wetness to infect.
Bin or burn rust-blistered leaves instead of composting them.
Physalis belongs to the nightshade family and can host diseases that also affect tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines, so avoid planting it right beside them and remove self-sown seedlings near the vegetable patch.
Physalis can be harvested as early as midsummer for the earlier cultivars in the warmest regions. For later varieties, expect a harvest from early autumn to mid-autumn.
The harvest can indeed last until mid-autumn and even late autumn in regions where the climate isn’t as favorable. Physalis plants start dying at the first frost spells.
Whether the variety is a red, orange yellow or green-hulled variety, you can be sure they’re ripe when the hull turns purple and then brown. It will start to open up when the fruits are ready for harvest.
Source: Interfel
The main cultivars differ mostly in the size of the berry, the colour of the hull and above all in how early they ripen. Here is what each one offers.
| Type | Hull | Berry | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peruvian coqueret (Peruvian physalis) | Dry calyx protecting the fruit | As large as a gold-coloured cherry | From late summer until the first frost spells |
| Plum-tasting physalis | Looks exactly like the Peruvian coqueret | Smaller berry | Earliest of all, in midsummer |
| Mexican physalis or tomatillo | Delicate violet colour with veins of green | Very popular Mexican fruit, grown for cooking | Starting in late summer |
Whatever the type, the hull turns purple then brown and begins to open when the fruits are ready to pick.
A very easy plant to grow, physalis bears edible fruits that are uniquely tasty at summer’s end.
Laurie’s tip: fold the lantern back and dip the berry in a bowl of melted chocolate… Let it cool for an instant and bite it off! Delicious!
The name comes from the Greek root word physalis which means bladder. This is due to the calyx, which looks like that organ.
Physalis goes by many names depending on the region and the variety. You’ll hear of it as winter cherry, Cape gooseberry, Peruvian coqueret and even the romantic name amour-en-cage (“caged love”). The most common names are groundcherry, Chinese lantern and Japanese lantern (hōzuki in Japanese).
Physalis contains high levels of vitamins A, B and especially C. It is also a rich source of beta-carotene when fully ripe.
The health benefits of physalis include treatment of urinary tract infections and rheumatism.
Sometimes, when sold without the hull, Physalis is confused with cherry tomato.
The same genus holds a savory cousin, grown for cooking rather than for sweet berries: tomatillo, the Mexican physalis, the base of every green salsa.
Fertilizer will help if your soil is poor and you wish to increase the harvest.
