Ground Cherry Physalis
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- fy-SAY-liss
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Perennial herbs in the Solanaceae (tomato) family. Often much branched and spreading at the top; leaves alternate, simple, smooth margined or irregularly toothed; flowers axillary, nodding, 5-parted, bell- or funnel-shaped, yellowish flowers that are good cut or dried. Fruit a globose yellow, red, purple, or blue-black berry surrounded by a papery sac.
It can be weedy in disturbed areas, but is found in forests and natural areas in thin woodlands and sandy, open sites. It can be grown in the landscape as a vegetable.
Wildlife Value: Members of the genus Physalis support the following specialized bees: Colletes latitarsis, Colletes willistoni, and Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) pectinatum.
Family: Solanaceae
Poison Part: Unripe berries and leaves.
Poison Delivery Mode: Ingestion
Severity: HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!
Found in: Weedy in disturbed areas, naturalized; forest or natural area, in thin woodlands and sandy, open areas; landscape in vegetable g
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Physalis
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- USA, NC, South America
- Distribution:
- Throughout
- Edibility:
- EDIBLE PARTS: Ripe fruits edible and some used to make jelly, jams, preserves, sauces, or pies. HARVEST TIME: Only collect fruits.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Vegetable
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Description:
- A globose yellow, red, purple, or blue-black berry surrounded by a papery sac.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Good Dried
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Funnel
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Description:
- Axillary, nodding, 5-parted, bell- or funnel-shaped, yellowish flowers that are good cut or dried.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Entire
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, simple, smooth margined or irregularly toothed
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Specialized Bees
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weedy
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Headache, stomach pain, lowered temperature, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, circulatory and respiratory depression, loss of sensation; may be fatal.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Solanine and other solanidine alkaloids.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Plants that fill a similar niche:
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Uvularia grandiflora
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Echinacea angustifolia
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Vaccinium corymbosum
