Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry – 50 Seeds

Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa) is also known as Dwarf Cape Gooseberry. The plant grows low to the ground and has a sprawling habit.  It has dense branching and tends to grow twice as wide as it is tall and its pale-yellow, five-petaled flowers sit on the end of stamens that are marked with five dark spots. Compared to the Cape gooseberry, ground cherry is bushier and only grows to about 30cm tall. The fruits are generally smaller than those of the Cape gooseberry but ripen earlier and often taste fruitier.

It is a very productive plant, producing many small, golden fruits with papery husks. When the fruits are ready, the plant will drop the husk to the ground for gathering. Do not eat green, unripe berries, as they are poisonous. When they are yellow and easily fall from the plant, they are fully ripe and safe to eat.

Growing Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry

Indoor Sowing: Late Winter.

Direct Sowing:  Spring.

• Start the Seeds indoors 6 – 8 weeks before the end of frost season.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C.
• Cape gooseberries can be grown fairly easily from seed.
• Don’t give up on them – the seeds take longer to germinate than those of many other plants.
• Plant seeds into damp potting compost and water carefully and consistently.
• Seeds need to be kept in a warm place in order to germinate.