Ground Cherries

[curly_kate]

I grew ground cherries a couple of years back. The seeds were from Baker Creek, although I'm not sure what the variety was at this point. They were really easy to grow and extremely prolific, although they live up to their name of GROUND cherry, as you've got to crawl all over to get the little fruits. They are an unusual combination of sweet and savory, and I always thought they had a slightly yeasty flavor. I wasn't a huge fan, but there definitely were some at the farmer's market where I sold them.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

That wikipedia article is really confusing. I think that the genus - Physalis - is one of those groups were scientists are still working on getting them all sorted out. I just go by what the majority of the seed companies say.

Oh yeah - when the berries are ripe they'll actually fall off of the plant and onto the ground. Pick them early and the flavor won't be quite right. I would mulch around the plants with straw or grass clippings or something like that, to prevent the berries from rotting. You might also want to space the plants further apart so that the stems and leaves won't hide the berries so much.