Physalis virginiana
Origin: Elmer, New Jersey
Improvement status: Wild
Seeds per packet: ~20
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
Since we first arrived at the Deitrichs' farm outside Elmer, NJ, back in 2014, we've known about the perennial ground cherries growing all around. Every so often we would find a plant with a ripe fruit or two, and we always enjoyed them, but we didn't see much potential in them either. They produced very sparsely, compared to the annual ground cherries we grow, and often the ripe fruits would be eaten by pests. But after a decade on the land, we noticed one small patch that's quite distinct from all the others: its plants produced handfuls of delicate pointed lanterns concealing delicious sweet fruit inside.
Unlike all the others, and despite their amazing flavor, the local pests seem to have no interest in these ground cherries. The fruits of this native species are small and yellow-orange when ripe, with an intensely sweet flavor evocative of pineapples, balanced with just the right amount of tartness.
GROWING TIPS: These plants should grow easily from seed (surface sown in flats a few weeks before last frost, as they are slow to germinate). We recommend ripping up any plants that prove less productive or susceptible to pests, because the good plants you leave behind will over time spread and create a perfect patch of perennial deliciousness!
