A day or two after I posted that I was checking them out and noticed the bigger one was starting to flower, haha.
We’ve eaten some of the the one on the left and they are good but tiny so far. Pretty wild how much it produces so quickly and at such a small size. The bigger one could be Physalis peruviana. I have started some of those seeds before but I was pretty sure I had started just the “Cossack’s Pineapple Groundcherry” in the pot these came out of. Several of each type came out of that pot though and I doubt I would have mixed so many of two different types in the one small pot. Who knows.
Interesting… your plant does look a lot like Physalis peruviana however the flowers look too much like Physalis girsea, I think you have Physalis grisea (Would be crazy if it was a hybrid somehow but I think it’s just Physalis grisea - both species look similar but the flowers are different). Amazing how it’s already producing fruits & flowers.
I think that’s what you see here. I just find it unusual that the flower markings have a line that extends all the way to the edges of the petal (I don’t think I’ve ever seen that on Physalis grisea but maybe I just haven’t seen enough varieties of Physalis grisea).
Also the little physalis plant is the one that is currently flowers? The leaves look so different from the young plant vs the flowering plant. I almost thought it was a wild Physalis longifolia volunteering. But looking back it does make sense.
They are probably both Physalis grisea. Most of the griseas I have (Sierra Leone Groundcherry from Tradewinds) have been very short and start producing at an inch or two tall. If Aunt Molly’s is also P. grisea (a bigger plant in my experience) it would make sense that some could end up as really small plants and others as larger. Especially if the seed was collected haphazardly and not from a stable source. Or an unstable variety.
If that’s the case than @Sharq was right! Both are Physalis grisea because of the yellow anthers that aren’t twisted after shedding pollen. Now this confirms that Physalis grisea flowers can also have lines extending all the way to the edge of the petals (Something I thought only a few species like Physalis peruviana does).
Here’s a few of my ground cherries Finally got around to taking good pictures, of course they’re angry and yellowing due to not having been planted but it’s JUST gonna be like 2 more days. I’m not at all sure what is what but I’ve collected a number of seeds which include goldie, geltower, peruviana… and some kind of red one and “poha”. Also these are kind of mixed up with my peppers.
ive noticed them before but i didnt know they were edible and never let them get far enough along to see the fruit. these will drop when ripe and taste like lemon drop candy? is it too late in the season to get seeds and start them in 5a/b?
Might a bit late, should have had them started weeks ago n in the ground, you COULD… potentially buy some ready to plant starts online but it’s a little risky n hard to find.
You should have plenty of time. Especially since these seem like they are volunteers/weeds to you. Groundcherries don’t take that long to set and ripen fruit, as long as pollination isn’t an issue. Most of the uncultivated groundcherries need cross pollination, which seems to be the issue with both my Walter’s and Coastal groundcherries. I get empty husks all the time.
Yea that looks about right (altho you can 100% confirm once they flower & set fruit).
Lemon drop candy? sure but more like a lemon flavored goldenberry. It still has the savory notes of a groundcherry just more brighter & less savory compared to Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana). It’s not very sour but just has a lemony flavor (fantastic for me because I hate painful sour).
Sometimes the fruit calxy drops but the berry inside is still green & unripe-ish. They will usually ripen at home off the plant when green & fully sized (granted there isn’t any disease on the fruits - but even in that case some seeds can still be saved for future planting (however do you really want to continue a generation that is susceptible to getting it’s fruits diseased? maybe if you plan to cross them with other species)).
I’ve never started this species from seed, since they are perennial I’m not sure if they will fruit from seed in 1 year (Someone told me they don’t fruit from seed in their first yea but I’m also not sure how reliable that info is). If you have seeds to spare, go for it!
If this “weed” volunteers than it’s almost certain that some seeds are already in the soil seedbank.
What app or website is that chart from? It looks so nice visually!
Finally got around to taking good pictures, of course they’re angry and yellowing due to not having been planted but it’s JUST gonna be like 2 more days. I’m not at all sure what is what but I’ve collected a number of seeds which include goldie, geltower, peruviana… and some kind of red one and “poha”. Also these are kind of mixed up with my peppers.
