Each season we like to try a couple new crops or varieties in our demonstration garden, just to learn about them and see if we like the fruits they produce. This spring we grew ground cherries for the first time, and they have been a success

Ground cherries, like tomatillos, are in the plant genus Physalis, but they are different species

Both are a little more distantly related to tomatoes. Also, like tomatillos, ground cherries are enclosed in a small papery husk that hangs below the stems of the plant. There are several species of ground cherries, and they are typically grown at the same time as tomatoes. For us, that’s spring. Unlike tomatoes and tomatillos, ground cherry plants tend to sprawl out more, like a 1-2 ft tall ground cover, rather than growing upright. The plants were easy to grow, and even though they were plagued early in the season by spider mites, they thrived throughout spring, even handling the high heat of late June. The plants were very productive and would have kept going indefinitely. They are typically grown as annuals here in north Florida.

The ground cherries themselves are yellow when ripe and are about the size of large blueberries

They are typically ripe when they start falling to the ground in their yellowing and drying husks. They are tasty and much sweeter than tomatoes and tomatillos. They can be eaten fresh as is, after taking them out of their husks where they can be used to make sauces and salsas. Additionally, they can even be used in pies and jams.

Our Master Gardener Volunteers taste-tested a ground cherry salsa during a recent workday, and most enjoyed it. Testers found it sweet and flavorful with a unique taste. If you’d like to grow your own, you can find seeds at several online seed sellers and start some in August for a fall crop. Once you harvest, the hardest part of making the salsa is husking all those small fruits! It’s a good task for a grandchild or sitting in front of the TV! Because they’re small, it’s easier to process them in a blender with some or all the following, to taste: onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Process to your desired texture. Adding black beans would help balance the sweetness of the ground cherries. Serve chilled or at room temperature with your favorite chips or crackers.

Bottom line: this is an easy crop to grow, and it could fill a relatively large space with 5-6 plants

Little care is required, beyond adequate water and fertilization. Leaf-footed bugs and stinkbugs seemed to leave it alone; perhaps they were unable to reach the fruits because of the husks. Plants were productive even with some insect pressure. Fruits are easy to pick and tasty to eat. The only downsides are picking and husking. They are somewhat slow processes.

Article Written by: Beth Marlowe, Urban Garden Program Assistant July 2024

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