Genus: Physalis

thanks for the tip Andrew, i might just try that.

One possible solution is take a large plastic flower pot, cut off the bottom and sink it in the ground with the rim at soil level. Plant the physalis inside and it can't spread too far. It will need lifting and dividing about every three years otherwise it becomes too congested and starved.
Any plant that has 'wandering' tendencies can be treated in this way - it's how I grow my mint

to be honest that is the main reason i have'nt put any in yet Andrew lol but looking at this pic, they are just soooooo pretty.

Yes but they can be invasive so don't put them near anything delicate or precious

love these, must remember to put them on that ever increasing list, such great Autumn/winter interest, and i belive the are also eadable, not that i would eat them, but means safty for Brooke.

That's a wonderful photo!

WoW Great pic Andrew.. Wouldn't it Look great on a Xmas Tree..

Looks like a tomato in the middle.....

Oooo. Chinese lantern. How lovely. Great photo. :o)

Yes adoons, you are right. I grow the variety 'Zwerg' which is half the height of the type plant but just as invasive. I don't think it is native so South Africa so it must be a garden escape

Oh that's amazing Andrew......I really wanted some of the chinese lanterns but mine didn't flower!

Beautiful photo Andrew..

A Cape gooseberry, am I right? lovely to eat & make jam. They grow wild in Southern Africa, specially the Cape province. Great pic.

perfect!

very beautiful

oh wow thats fabulous

Amazing photo.
Great close up.
Well done on this one. :o)

The bent stems will either look 'weird ' or rubbish! You could wire the seed heads onto florists' wire before displaying them in a vase. Pick the heads on a dry day and put them in a vase somewhere warm to dry. I think if you hang them upside down to dry they will not keep their 'hanging' appearance.

thanks both, i guess mine is not suited to a cold welsh house!

Hi Tickley. Isabella has it easy for this type of plant in warm Attika. I have some but I grow them as an annual which is easy because it grows like mad from seed. I take it that your's never fruited so that makes it difficult. Firstly, if you want to overwinter it, I would definitely transfer it to a pot with good drainage then, if you don't have a greenhouse, find it somewhere cool and dry for the winter. Or you could just take it into a warm house and treat it as a, well, house plant. I've never tried that but I have heard that it works. But still give it drainage. The unpleasant chemicals and salts need to wash through.

John.

Hi - I grow this plant outdoors in Greece - and evfen though I like it - I would rather not have plated it ever in open soil, as it spreads like wildweed.
the Physalis will die back in winter and come back up in spring to flower white and fruit with it's orange lanterns. Those can be dried and little fairy lights in them will make them look very attractive. Left on the plant they'll rott to a lace skeleton of the former veins.
The roots are the problem - if they break up when you try to remove the plant the pieces will generate new plants.
Can be grown from seed as well

Lovely Choose :)

Very nice Amy

lovely Amy

Chrispook I believe this is related to the Tomatillos that I am growing. I think they are called Jamberries. The fruit of the tomatillo is very tart and feels much like a tomato.

I've got lots of lanterns too. I saw them in the supermarket for sale as a fruit at a huge price. Are there different varieties because I assumed the ones in the shop must be a special edible type?

The common name for this plant is 'Chinese Lantern'. Inside is a small, sweet berry sometimes served in a fruit salad

That's so delicate.
Looks like a little lantern.
Pretty colour, too.

Aren't these fantastic. Look great when in a dried arrangement to. Great Photo.

Hi Janey you ask about our weather. Not chilly this week. We started to have a few cooler nights last week like down to 10 C, but not now. It's like high summer with temps in mid 30's in day and 18-20 at night. Ver dry too and no rain in forecast for next 10 days with high temps continuing. I'm about to go away for 5 days so no water for the garden. The plants are looking rather tired and they will be even more tired if the heat continues for long. Our soil is very free draining being almost pure sand too. Still mustn't grumble, I'm sure you guys in UK would like some of this sun.

Thanks for that Jess. I thought the same thing too. I do not think it likes clay soil.

Lovely photo Chris.
I used to have them too but they spread like wildfire in my garden. My soil is pretty free draining and quite dry so it may very well be the clay that they don't like Michaella.

Thanks for that Chrispook, first ones were seeds, second ones were plants.

Ah, will be next year then, thanks Chris. Is it getting chilly in Hungary or is it like here? We had a beautiful morning, crisp and sunny, but heavy rain all afternoon and it's cool.

Maybe it will be next year now, unless there are different cultivars that flower at different times, This one is really early and has small white flowers in early summer.

Aren't these gorgeous for Autumn and great to dry too for winter decoration.

Beautiful! I managed to grow some this year, and they're really strong plants, but no sign of flowers never mind the pods!

Maybe not but I don't know for sure. Our soil is very sandy and this plant thrives. I bought it as a plant. I once tried some seeds and they did not appear, well I never found them.

I have tried to grow those here twice, they have not been successful.
Do they not like clay soil?

I love these Chrispook, i bought some this year and left it too late to plant and they died, TUT...Next year Definatley...There beautifull, they really do look like paper lanterns...

Beautiful Ornaments

Japanese Lanterns. Beautiful Picture.

i tried growing this this year but wasn't very successfull, nice picture and interesting too

Exciting watching the development!

Great idea......i like it save a fortune on string lol ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

Yes indeed Buffriddler, leftovers from some knitting, cotton, so why not, recycle right!
I will keep updating as they develop.

That is an amazing story. Can't wait to see the follow up picture Wohlibuli.

Is that wool i spy as i tie back?

Great photo ! Your foliage looks fantastic too, mine hasn't faired quite so well,...lol. The grasshoppers absolutely love it.

Hope you get fruit soon, sounds tasty!

They are very much like a small green tomato inside a papery husk, apparently they are related to both tomatoes and the ornamental Chinese Lanterns. They aren't big, maybe 3 inches across max. and taste tart. I use them in a green chili that is made with pork instead of beef.

What does the fruit look like when it does come? I'm not familiar with these.

I love this plant. Wonderful!

they fasinate me !

a beautiful plant

Thanks Heathervg,
I hope they do well, getting the shot was hard cause the blossoms hang down on the underside of the stem.

i love how the sunlight hits the background

Hi David,
I also grew some in the greenhouse, those have reached the roof of the greenhouse outgrown it, I will probably move them outside, it is South facing and the fruits are forming where the outdoor ones are just iin flower. They came from the same batch of seedlings! Last year I only grew them outside in growbags, it was a warm summer and I was picking the fruits well into autumn. My garden faces south on a slope and we are near the south coast.

Hi, i am fascinated to see that you grow this outdoors. I have grown a couple of them in the greenhouse in the past, and didn't even know that they could be outside - perhaps not this far north though - david. ps I'm glad you like my idea for getting the children into gardening. they really enjoy it and love growing their own food, especially.