Growing Ground Cherries

Oh, common names! They are so expressive but often confusing. Here is an example of a confusing common name for you: the ground cherry.

What are ground cherries? Well, these are entirely unrelated to the cherries that grow on trees. While they don't grow in the ground, the plants spread over the ground. The round, half-inch, ripe fruits are harvested after dropping to the ground. Ground cherries are related to tomatoes. They are first cousins to tomatillos and ornamental Chinese lanterns. The groundcherry's genus name, Physalis, means bladder, which refers to the inflated husk around the fruit. (I've learned scientific names, which are descriptive when you understand them.) Most importantly, the cherry-sized fruits are delicious!

So, again, what are ground cherries, and what is their origin? These plants are part of the nightshade family, the Solanaceae, with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes. Other common names for ground cherries include husk cherries, husk tomatoes, strawberry tomato, and goldenberries.

Ground cherries and their kin are native to the Americas and originated in South, Central, and even North America. The familiar tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa), in the same genus, has been cultivated in Central America for centuries.

The early explorers and settlers have moved ground cherries all around the globe. In the British colonies at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, gardeners called them Cape gooseberries or goldenberries. Their scientific name, Physalis peruviana, recognizes their South American origins. However, these plants are unrelated to European gooseberries, relatives of currants in the genus Ribes. In USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8 and warmer, these plants are perennial. The plants are upright, with slow to mature fruits. The fruits may not ripen in Pennsylvania's short growing season.

The Virginia ground cherry, Physalis virginiana, formerly known as P. pensylvanica, was described by early botanists and listed in the Schell Quality Seeds catalog, published in Harrisburg. The Virginia ground cherry is perennial in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 to 9.

Another ground cherry native to eastern North America, Physalis pruinosa, is commonly cultivated with many varieties. Within this scientific name, pruinosa refers to the frosty appearance of fine, white hairs on the leaves and young husk. The Pennsylvania Germans have cultivated it since the 1800s. Now known as 'Aunt Molly's', one variety has been widely grown in Poland. Perhaps Polish immigrants transported these ground cherry seeds as they ventured to start new lives abroad. We gardeners are master manipulators of plants. Today, there are many hybrids and varieties of ground cherries.

As you plan your garden, consider where you have space for ground cherries. Although most are 1 to 3 feet tall, they sprawl. Space them four 4 apart from each other. Ground cherries are often grown in trellises or tomato cages to save space. Provide a layer of mulch under the plants. Grass clippings, straw, or pine bark mulch do a fine job of making it easy to see and harvest the fallen fruits. Of course, mulch also moderates soil temperature, inhibits weed germination and growth, maintains soil moisture, ultimately adds organic matter, and gives a finished look to the garden.

Many seed catalogs that feature heirloom varieties of garden plants carry ground cherry seeds. The seeds can take up to three weeks to germinate indoors, so be patient. Like peppers, they prefer bottom warmth, so use a heat mat. Start the seeds indoors about six weeks before the last frost date. After sprouting, treat them like tomato or pepper seedlings, providing bright light and maintaining a 70°F temperature. When the garden soil is well-warmed, harden off the transplants. Then plant in the garden or large containers about two to three weeks after the last frost in your area. Like other nightshades, they do poorly in cool soil, so, again, be patient. Do not rush planting them outdoors. Unlike tomatoes, ground cherry stems do not root well at the nodes, so keep the base of the plant even with the soil surface as you would a pepper or eggplant. Remember to provide the plants with a deep and regular supply of water. Mother Nature rarely supplies enough rain for success.

As the plants mature, lovely creamy yellow flowers with purple centers appear. Bumble bees commonly buzz-pollinate the flowers. Ground cherries are indeterminate growers. These plants keep growing, and the flowers continue to form throughout the entire growing season. As the air temperature cools in the autumn, flowering will decline, as will fruit production.

Expect ripened fruit from late summer through autumn. Usually, fruits will ripen ten to eleven weeks after transplanting outdoors. The ground cherry fruit, a berry, ripens inside its husk. Then the beige to tan papery husk holding the berry falls to the ground. Be sure to pick up all the dropped fruits, as they are too tasty to waste! Perhaps more importantly, ground cherries are notorious self-seeders. Once you have ground cherries, you may have them forever! Consider growing ground cherry plants in containers on a solid surface to prevent them from seeding in your garden bed.

Monitor for pests and diseases. Generally, pests of other nightshades will be pests of ground cherries. Tomato and tobacco hornworms, cutworms, and Colorado potato beetles may be problems. Handpick these pests and drop them into soapy water.

How do you prepare ground cherries to eat? Eat the ripe golden-yellow berries fresh out of their husks! Enjoy the flavor-burst of pineapple with hints of vanilla, mango, or tomato as they pop in your mouth. Make them into jams and preserves, salsa, or pies. Dry them like raisins. Warning: like other nightshade plants, the unripe fruits of ground cherries and their stems and leaves contain toxins.

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Fresh ground cherries store well in a cool area within their husks for up to three months. The berries can be stored in a refrigerator for two to three weeks. The berries can be frozen on a baking sheet, transferred to a freezer bag or box, and kept frozen for six months.

Try a new plant in your garden each season. Perhaps this is the year for ground cherries!