🟠 Physalis (Cape gooseberry)

Physalis, the Cape gooseberry, forms papery lantern-like husks, each containing a sweet-tart golden berry. Easy to grow like tomatoes in a warm, sunny site, the plants are compact, productive and ornamental.

They are self-fertile, so one plant is enough. Each lantern ripens inside its husk, protected from birds.

Varieties to try

Golden Berry (standard)Little Lanterns (compact)Giant Poha (large fruit)

Sow in March to April, 5 mm deep, in pots at 18–20°C. Prick out into pots. Plant out in June, 60 cm apart, in a sunny, sheltered spot or large pots (30 cm) of compost.

Grow under glass for best results. Stake plants when they get tall.

Seedlings grow quickly and can be lanky if kept too warm and shaded, so give them the brightest windowsill you have, and turn the pots regularly. Pot on into 9 cm pots, then 3-litre pots, before moving them to the final position. Harden off for two weeks to avoid shock.

Top tips

• Start like tomatoes.
• Plant out in June.
• Give shelter.
• Stake tall plants.

Water regularly and feed fortnightly with tomato fertiliser once flowering. Pinch out the growing tip when 1 m tall. Not much side-shoot pinching is needed.

Aphids and whitefly are the main pests. Plants tolerate poor soil; rich soil gives too much foliage.

Physalis are thirsty, so water regularly, and mulch the soil to conserve moisture. Over-feeding with nitrogen produces tall, leafy plants with few fruits; use a tomato fertiliser once the first flowers appear. If plants become too tall, cut the tops to keep them manageable. Insects pollinate the flowers, but in a greenhouse, a gentle shake of the stems helps.

Top tips

• Feed like tomatoes.
• Pinch the tip at 1 m.
• Don't over-feed.
• Check for aphids.

Watch out for

AphidsWhiteflySlugsCold damage

Pick when the husks turn papery and golden, and berries are orange, from September to October. Ripe fruits fall to the ground, where they can be collected. Pick before frost.

Fruit ripens inside the husk; unripe fruit can be ripened indoors in the husk.

Pick the fruits when the husks are straw-coloured and papery. The berries inside are orange and sweet. If frost threatens, cut the whole plant and hang it upside-down in a frost-free, airy place such as a shed or garage; the fruits will continue to ripen in their husks for several weeks.

Top tips

• Pick when husks are papery.
• Collect fallen fruit.
• Ripen green ones indoors.
• Harvest before frost.

Peel back the husk and eat the berries raw, dip in chocolate, add to fruit salads, or make jam. They are sweet and tangy with a tropical flavour. Cook in sauces for desserts.

Fruit keeps for weeks in its husk in a cool place. Freeze berries on a tray, or dry for snacks.

Top tips

• Dip in chocolate.
• Keep in husks.
• Dry or freeze.
• Make jam.