| General Description | Physalis peruviana is part of the nightshade family and is closely related to the Tomatillo. The plant is a vine, growing close to the ground with small yellowish-orange spherical fruit. |
| ID Characteristic | P. peruviana has a yellow flower with purple inside. It is a vine plant with hairy spreading branches. Before harvest, there is a beige husk that encloses the fruit. |
| Shape | This plant can grow as a dense, rounded, medium-sized shrub that can also appear as trailing and vine-like in nature. It grows from a woody, sometimes straggling root base. |
| Landscape | While Physalis peruviana is not typically utilized in landscaping, it is cultivated as a food source. Each plant has the potential to yield approximately 300 berries, and well-tended plants can produce 20 to 33 tons per hectare. The berries are often included as a fresh garnish on dessert plates, are made into sauces, jams, and syrups. Furthermore, they are sometimes used in its dehydrated form within baked goods, cocktails, granolas, and snacks. P. peruviana berries are high in
vitamins A and C and contain B vitamins as well. |
| Propagation | Physalis peruviana can either be grown from seed or one-year cuttings. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. While Physalis peruviana can have up to 8000 seeds per 28g, it takes many thousands of seeds for a successful crop due to the long germination rate. In the case of year cuttings, the plants flower early and thrive, but they are not as vigorous as those grown from seed. Stem cuttings are treated with hormones to encourage early growth, but only with a 37.7% success
rate. Physalis peruviana grows best at a temperature of 13° to 16°C, but can tolerate frost and temperatures at -2°C. The process and timing for propagation is entirely dependent on the local climate and traditional farming practices. For example, in India, seeds are planted through a broadcast method from March to May. For cuttings 15-20 cm apart, plants are planted 45 cm apart in rows that are 9 m apart. In tropical areas, Physalis peruviana is a perennial, while in temperate zones it is an annual. |
| Cultivation | Physalis peruviana originated in South America and is currently grown commercially in a variety of tropical and subtropical areas. To grow Physalis peruviana well, the plant benefits from alkaline, acidic, or neutral pH levels and sandy, clay like soil medium. It
prefers moist but well-drained soil with full-sun conditions. |
| Pests | Physalis peruviana is prone to many pests and diseases, with the most common being powdery mildew and alternaria. If the plant is grown in poorly draining soil, it can be exposed to various viruses attacks and root rot. A multitude of insects can also infest the plant if the soil is poorly draining, such as cut worm, Stem borer, Leaf borer, Fruit moth, Flea beetle, Colorado potato beetle, and Stripped cucumber beetle. When grown in greenhouses the plant is commonly attacked by aphids and white fly. |
| Notable Specimens | Physalis peruviana is native to Chile and Peru, before being grown in England and South Africa. The plant has since spread world-wide in both temperate and tropical regions. Physalis peruviana is both widely cultivated well growing in the wild. Common names are Cape gooseberry,
Goldenberry and Peruvian groundcherry. |
| Habitat | Physalis peruviana has become naturalized most parts of the world. This plant prefers disturbed ground and may crowd out native plants as it forms a dens thicket. Cape gooseberry has been documented as growing up to 2100 m altitude in China. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Physalis peruviana’s branches are ribbed, frequently tinged purple or mauve with a dense, softly hairy surface. Its branches are obsoletely angular to angular-ribbed, striate, drying sulcate. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Physalis peruviana has a delicate bud like that of the tomatillo. The flower is a hermaphrodite and is typically bell-shaped and drooping, generally 12 to 20 mm across. It is yellow with purple-brown spots internally. The fruit appears after the flower falls when the calyx expands. Before harvesting, a beige husk appears that fully encloses the fruit. |
| Leaf Description | Physalis peruviana has a leaf margin that is either most of the entire leaf, aside from some cases with a few blunt lobes. It has green with dark purple venation and velvety soft alternating leaves that are ovate to cordate in shape, and range in size from 6-15 cm long and 4-10 cm wide; long petioles range from 2-5 cm. |
| Flower Description | Solitary yellow flowers in leaf axils that are bell-shaped with purplish spots at the base of the corolla. Each flower is 12-20 mm in diameter. With a 5-pointed hairy calyx, the flowers are solitary and occur at leaf axils. The light brown calyx will enlarge and enclose the fruit when the flower falls. |
| Fruit Description | The fruit of the plant is berries that are pale yellow to orange in colour and range from 10-15 mm in diameter. Inside the fruit, there are 100-300, 2 mm long yellowish seeds. |
| Colour Description | The leaves are green with dark purple venation; turning yellow and falling off once the fruit has ripened. The flower is yellow with purplish spots at the base of the corolla. The fruit is green, but turns golden or yellow to orange on ripening. |
| Texture Description | Physalis peruviana has velvety soft leaves with spreading branches that are ribbed and are frequently tinged purple or mauve, with a dense, soft hairy surface. |