Ground cherry: cultivation, care & harvest

Ground cherry is a bushy Physalis species that produces tasty fruit. Discover everything you need to know about growing ground cherries here.

The ground cherry (Physalis pruinosa) is a close relative of the Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) but is easier to cultivate in pots and has a unique fruity, sweet and sour flavour. Here is our guide to this physalis species with expert tips on growing the ground cherry at home.

Origin and characteristics of ground cherry

The ground cherry, also known as Cape gooseberry and sometimes husk tomato, belongs to the Solanaceae family. Like its relatives; aubergine (Solanum melongena), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and chilli (Capsicum), ground cherry comes from South America, where it can be found growing wild. The species Physalis pubescens is also called groundcherry or husk tomato but is much less common in this country.

The slightly hairy perennial Physalis pruinosa reaches an average height of 40 to 70 cm. It has dense branching and tends to grow twice as wide as it is tall. Its pointed, fuzzy stems have alternating heart-shaped to oval leaves with unevenly toothed to wavy edges. And its pale-yellow, five-petalled flowers sit on the end of stamens that are marked with five dark spots.

Ground cherries begin to flower in May and continue to blossom until autumn. Their cherry-sized fruits, up to 1.5 cm wide, develop inside a lantern-shaped husk after pollination. The first fruits ripen in June and turn orange-yellow as the husk casing dries.

When ripe, ground cherry fruits fall from the bush. You can collect these ripe fruits from the ground and eat them straight away! Ground cherry’s sweet, fruity and slightly acidic flavour is an exotic mix of pineapple and citrus fruit.

What is the difference between ground cherry and Cape gooseberry? Compared to the Cape gooseberry, ground cherry is bushier, only about half as tall and much wider. The fruits are generally smaller than those of the Cape gooseberry but ripen earlier and often taste fruitier.

The tastiest ground cherry varieties

There are several varieties of ground cherry, which differ mainly in fruit colour, taste and plant height. All the varieties mentioned here are heirloom varieties, so you can save their seeds and cultivate them again and again.

• ‘Annalisa’: Ground cherry variety with medium-sized, golden-yellow fruits that fall from the plant and are ready for harvest in June. The plants grow bushy and reach a height of 70 cm.
• ‘Aunt Molly’: Ground cherry of the species Physalis pubescens. This historic cultivar comes from Poland, where it was first cultivated at the start of the 19^th century. The medium-sized to large, golden-yellow berries taste like tangerine and pineapple.
• ‘Geltower Selection’: This variety was cultivated to produce extra-large fruits. The flavour of this ground cherry, which is about 50 cm tall, is extremely sweet and pineapple-like.
• ‘Goldie’: This ground cherry originates from the USA and produces particularly large, orange berries with a flavour reminiscent of pineapple and strawberry.
• ‘Goldmurmel’: Ground cherry with about 1-1.5 cm large, golden-yellow fruits that taste fruity and sweet. ‘Goldmurmel’ ground cherry plants grow about 40-60 cm tall and up to 120 cm wide.
• ‘Hermelinda’: Ground cherry variety with cherry-sized, sweet and early ripening fruit. The plants grow up to 70 cm tall and grow more slowly than ‘Annalisa’, but also more abundantly.
• ‘Izumii’: This variety only reaches 40 cm tall, so will fit in any small space or balcony. The light-yellow berries, about 1 cm in size, taste remarkably sweet and fruity and ripen from July.

Planting ground cherry: where and how to sow the seeds

The ideal location for physalis is sunny and warm, with nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. To reap the earliest, longest and most abundant harvest, pre-sow your ground cherry seeds indoors on a warm, sunny windowsill. In this way, cultivation begins in early spring.

To ensure good root development, sow your Physalis pruinosa seeds between February and March in nutrient-poor growing soil. The roundish, light brown seeds are light germinators, so cover them with just a few millimetres of soil or none at all. It should take one to two weeks for the little ground cherry seedlings to appear.

Later, you can prick out these seedlings into nutrient-rich compost. Here, they will form their first adult leaves, and require a lot more nutrients to grow well. A pre-fertilised potting soil – such as our Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Compost – is ideal for pricking out young ground cherry seedlings. It can also be used to fill in plant pots and mix with the soil you use in the greenhouse or garden bed.

From mid-May, after the threat of frost has passed, you can transplant your ground cherry seedlings outdoors. They grow just as well in a greenhouse as in a garden bed and raised bed. Simply dig a planting hole and place the ground cherry in, making sure that your plants are no deeper than they were in their previous pot. After transplanting, water the plants well.

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Can you grow ground cherries in pots? This bushy-growing physalis species is perfect as a snack fruit for terraces and balconies. To grow ground cherries in pots, make sure your container holds at least five litres of soil and drains water well.

Tip: If you want to grow ground cherries in a polyculture, avoid using its close relatives as companion plants. Vegetables that require few nutrients such as lettuce and spinach (Spinacia oleracea), but also onion plants (Allium), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), cabbage plants (Brassicaceae) and strawberries (Fragaria) are all great companions to ground cherries.

Ground cherry care

It is important to make sure that your ground cherry receives enough water and nutrients. Especially in summer: water your plants regularly. From June, the bushy physalis also benefits from fertiliser. A liquid fertiliser, like our Plantura Liquid Tomato Food, will provide these nutrient-hungry berry plants with all the essential nitrogen and potassium they need for healthy growth and abundant fruiting. Simply apply the liquid plant food weekly when watering.

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There is no need to thin out ground cherries or remove their side shoots. However, despite their compact growth, you should still support the plants with a stick or cane to protect them from strong winds or storms.

Add a layer of mulch, like lawn clippings, around the plant to reduce water-loss. This will also provide food for microorganisms and prevent ripe berries from resting on the ground and rotting when they fall. Do note, however, that high-carbon mulch materials, like wood chips, absorb nitrogen, so you may need to add extra fertiliser to your plants when using high-carbon mulch.

Overwintering ground cherry: is Physalis pruinosa winter hardy?

The ground cherry is a perennial but must be overwintered indoors (unless winter is especially mild). To overwinter ground cherries, prune about two thirds of the plant in late autumn and move it to a frost-free location (at least 5°C). Once your plant has begun overwintering, it is important not to water it too much.

Although they are perennials, ground cherries are usually cultivated as annuals. This is because overwintering does not necessarily result in an earlier or more fruitful harvest, and the plants can suffer from disease in the winter months. For instance, grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) is particularly problematic in humid conditions. Growing ground cherry from seed annually provides a more reliable cultivation method.

When to harvest ground cherries

Harvesting Physalis pruinosa is easy. The fruits fall from the bush when they are ripe, hence the name: “ground cherry”, and a single plant can bear more than 100 fruits. The fruity-sweet and fresh-sour taste of the ground cherry is best experienced dried, conserved in jam, or dipped in chocolate and garnished on sweet pastries or desserts.

Stored at room temperature in their lanterns, ground berries can be kept for several weeks.

Read our article on physalis to learn all about the ground cherry’s family.