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Ground cherry

Physalis heterophylla

Habitat:

Found these growing between a fence and a shrub in my back yard, so they get a fair amount of shade during the day, but it can still get quite hot out there.



2 species ID suggestions

Cape gooseberry (South Africa), Inca berry, Peruvian Groundcherry,
Physalis peruviana Physalis peruviana
Clammy Ground Cherry
Physalis heterophylla Physalis heterophylla

10 Comments

natureboy153
natureboy153 a year ago

My wife thought it might be a ground cherry too, but wasn't positive (thought it could have been a Chinese lantern too). From the two suggestions it looks like the ground cherry leaves aren't fuzzy (more pepper like) which is what my plant looks like.

Thanks all!

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar a year ago

Alice Scott reached exactly...with ID suggestion..!!

ScottRasmussen
ScottRasmussen a year ago

This is a very common plant in my area, common enough that people gather the ripe fruit and sell them at our local farmer's market. They taste like sweet tomatoes.

I vote with Scott.

Scott you are great! such a good eye for plant IDs... you have my respect for that! :)

ScottRasmussen
ScottRasmussen a year ago

It's a Physalis, not the same species as Chinese Lantern Plant, but same genus, in the Solanaceae. Physalis heterophylla is the most common species in the U.S..

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar a year ago

Check Trichodesma sp. and Boraginaceae family of plants.

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar a year ago

I feel leafs of a Chili plant.

I mean japanese lantern flower

I heard the name: japanese lampion flower

Urbana, Illinois, USA

Lat: 40.11, Long: -88.27

Spotted on Jul 18, 2011
Submitted on Jul 18, 2011

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