Ground cherry (Physalis pruinosa) — Plotwright

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Ground cherry

Habit (mature) · Frank Vincentz / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Ground cherry

Physalis pruinosa

A low, sprawling nightshade grown for the sweet golden berries that ripen inside papery, lantern-like husks and drop to the ground when ready — hence "ground cherry." Soft, slightly hairy stems with heart-shaped toothed leaves carry small yellowish bell-shaped flowers all summer. Grown like a tomato, it is a tender annual in most of the US but can persist as a short-lived perennial where frost is absent.

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: moderate (59/100)

Edible

Container

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

12-36" tall · 24" apart

Hardy in zones

3a-9b

brutally cold to frosty winters

Summer heat range

Mild-Hot

mild to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

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Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Arizona Mountains forests

Atlantic coastal pine barrens

Blue Mountains forests

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Chilean Matorral

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Ground cherry (Physalis pruinosa). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/ground-cherry

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

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Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Backs 1 field

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