Solanaceae family.
Despite the fact that physalisis a valuable plant with high decorative qualities, if we talk about inedible forms that serve to decorate the garden, as well as excellent nutritional characteristics, if we talk about edible varieties, it is quite rare on the plots.
Many gardeners refuse to grow this crop, believing that caring for it is difficult and burdensome. However, this opinion is erroneous.
In fact, physalis is unpretentious, although it requires certain knowledge about its features. If you take into account all the nuances of breeding this flower, you can get a beautifully flowering plant for several months, or a bush with tasty and healthy fruits.
There are not so many places where the common physalis flower grows in natural conditions, these are mainly European and Asian countries. Its homeland is Central and South America, from where it was brought after some time to North America and southern European countries.
Due to its resistance to temperature extremes and cold snaps, it soon began to be bred in China and Japan. In Russia, it has been cultivated since the 19th century. To date, many garden species and varieties of physalis, both edible and decorative, have been bred.
Botanical description of the common physalis plant
According to its botanical description, physalis is a perennial, rarely annual herbaceous rhizome plant up to 90 cm high. Annually it forms new, angular, slightly curved, upright, bare or slightly pubescent shoots.
Over time, the stems at the base become woody. It has a powerful, branched root system with numerous creeping hard processes. Grows strongly in width. The leaves are light green, oppositely located, oval, serrated along the edge.
The flowers are solitary, formed in the axils of the leaves along the entire length of the shoots, five-lobed, bright orange or bright red, shaped like lanterns. The fruit of the physalis is a two-celled rounded berry, closed by sepals forming a calyx with triangular teeth.
The color of the calyx changes as it matures. At first it is green, then it turns yellow, red, orange or purple, depending on the plant variety.
Ripe berries may be yellow or orange. The fruit is fleshy inside and contains seeds.
Physalis blooms in July – August, lanterns appear in September – October. To date, there are about 120 species of this plant, but each of them has a 5-10 lobed flower, which acquires a bright color when ripe.
Which one also depends on the species. Physalis flowers retain their decorative effect even after drying, so they decorate the garden even in the cold season.
In horticulture, ornamental, berry and vegetable varieties of this crop are used. Berries of ornamental species are bitter and are not used for food. In other species, the fruits have a pleasant taste and valuable properties, therefore they are used in cooking.
Varieties of decorative physalis (with photo)
Physalis decorative.
Physalis decorative is a herbaceous perennial, whose height is from 70 to 90 cm.
It has rich green, oval, pointed leaves at the ends, white inconspicuous flowers and swollen boxes, similar to lanterns, of a rich orange color. These lanterns give the plant a decorative effect.
Up to 15 such boxes can form on each shoot, in which fruits will ripen by mid-autumn. This species is poisonous, the fruits are not eaten. It is used only in landscape design and for the design of sites.
Varieties of decorative physalis:
«franchetta»- perennial up to 90 cm high. The leaves are light green, the flowers are small, white, 3-3.5 cm in diameter. The fruit is a berry, around which a large fiery orange cup has grown in the form of a flashlight;
«Alkekengi»- a variety with bright boxes of yellow, red, orange.
What popular varieties of ornamental physalis look like is shown in the selection of photos below, by looking at which you can make sure that this exotic is a spectacular garden decoration.
Peruvian physalis (Physalis peruviana) This variety has sweet fruits with a pleasant taste and aroma. The fruits are very soft, so they are not subject to storage and transportation.
Peruvian physalis varieties:
«sorcerer»- has large, rounded, slightly flattened berries of bright orange color. The fruits taste sweet and sour with a slight bitterness and a strong strawberry aroma;
«Columbus»- tall, late-ripening, heat-loving variety with sweet, juicy berries;
There is a decorative Peruvian physalis that blooms for a long time with bright blue flowers. The bush grows tall (120-150 cm), with a thick purple stem, and resembles a small tree, completely covered with flowers.
Physalis Mexican or vegetable (with photo)
Physalis Mexican or vegetable is a branched, tall (120–150 cm), unpretentious plant, the most cold-resistant of all nightshade crops (shoots appear at a temperature of 10–12 degrees).
It has rather large fruits (60–70 g) of yellow, green or purple color, which are enclosed in caps. The shape and size may vary.
The fruits are covered with a sticky substance, therefore, before eating, they are freed from the caps and washed with hot water to wash off the sticky substance. They are not consumed raw, but are used mainly in marinades, salads and other dishes.
Varieties of Mexican or vegetable physalis:
«Confectionery»- has roundish light or dark green sour fruits;
«Wren»- a variety of early ripening, used in the manufacture of desserts, added to conservation;
«Moscow early»- an early ripening variety with light yellow large fruits that have a sweet taste;
«Ground Gribovsky»- is a shrub about 80 cm high with reclining branches. The fruits are light green, sweet and sour. The variety has high frost resistance, gives large yields.
The description of the vegetable physalis varieties is supplemented with a photo where you can clearly see how the fruits of each of them look.
Varieties of physalis strawberry (with photo)
Physalis strawberry does not have cold resistance, unlike many other varieties of this crop, therefore it is grown in Russia as an annual. The bush reaches 30 – 40 cm in height. Its shoots can be creeping and erect. The fruits are round, light orange, 0.6 – 1.2 cm in diameter. Very sweet in taste, with strawberry aroma.
Below is a description of valuable varieties of edible strawberry physalis with a photo, having studied which gardeners will be able to decide which ones to plant on the site.
«Goldenberry»- a foreign variety with small, round, light yellow berries with a sweet pleasant taste;
«Strawberry»- is a shrub about 70 cm high with yellow sweet fruits;
«Bell»- a variety of physalis up to 100 cm high with creeping shoots and sweet bright orange fruits. From one bush in harvest years, you can get at least 1.5 kg of berries;
«pineapple»- a variety of physalis with small fruits weighing no more than 10 g, very fragrant and sweet in taste. Pineapple physalis berries are consumed fresh, and are also used to make desserts and jams;
«Physalis raisin Surprise»- dwarf annual variety with pubescence on the surface of shoots and leaves. The berries are small, sweet, with a pleasant aroma, slightly reminiscent of strawberries. This type of physalis is thermophilic (shoots appear at temperatures above 15 degrees);
«Marmalade»- tall perennial up to 120 cm high with rounded, slightly flattened berries weighing 40 g with a plum flavor and a strong pleasant aroma. The color of the fruit is cream;
«plum jam»- physalis with large berries of a dark purple hue with creamy-light green flesh with a sweet rich taste. The variety has a high keeping quality.
Excellent taste qualities allow the use of berries for the production of confectionery, jams, preserves and much more. The variety brings large yields, has not only food, but also decorative value.
How to grow physalis on the site
Growing vegetable and ornamental physalis in the country and caring for them are practically the same, usually the breeding of this crop is successful if the gardener takes into account its features. Below are recommendations on how to properly care for an exotic in the garden.
Location. Physalis looks most spectacular when planted in a sunny place. However, the plant can bloom and bear fruit in partial shade. It is worth considering that in partial shade the bush may need support.
The soil. Any garden nutrient soil is suitable, preferably with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. This culture cannot grow on acidic soils, therefore, with increased acidity of garden soil, quicklime, dolomite flour or wood ash must be added.
Topdressing. Like any garden crop, physalis needs to be fed. It increases its productivity, promotes abundant flowering and improves decorative qualities. Every month, from June to September, the plant is fertilized, alternating mineral and organic compounds. For this purpose, mullein infusion, manure solution, a mixture of ash and potassium salt, urea are suitable.
Watering and other care. Caring for physalis after planting in open ground, you need to remember that watering this plant should be moderate and it is enough to irrigate the bushes 1-2 times a week. Waterlogging of the soil and stagnant moisture should be avoided. This will negatively affect the root system, and hence the condition of the plant. If water accumulates on the site, then it is better to plant physalis on an elevated place or make a high bed. Weeding and loosening the soil is carried out after each watering.
This work contributes to the supply of oxygen to the roots and the cleansing of the soil around the bush from weeds.
Shelter for the winter. The plant is winter-hardy, but in mid-latitudes, care should be taken to shelter for the cold season, as severe frosts can damage its roots.
Pests and diseases. From pests, aphids sometimes attack physalis, and from diseases – stem rot. The flowers attract a large number of pollinating insects.
How to grow physalis from seeds in the garden
Reproduction of this culture is carried out by seeds, division of bushes, cuttings. Gardeners who want to start breeding valuable physalis fruit are interested in how to grow it from seeds, what to do so that the crops sprout successfully.
In regions with a mild climate, the seed is immediately placed in the ground. Seeds have high germination, so the gardener will not have problems with their germination. Before planting, it is recommended to soak the seeds in a 5% salt solution. The floating seeds should be removed, the settled ones should be washed and held for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Then they need to be washed and dried again. In the ground can be placed in April in warm, clear weather. Before sowing, I make a ridge, break large stones, and remove weeds. Furrows are made in the ridges where seeds are laid.
The seedlings that have appeared must be thinned out, leaving a distance of about 40 cm between plants. Sowing seeds is also carried out before winter, performing this work in mid-late October.
In mid-latitudes, seedlings are grown first. In this case, the physalis will begin to bear fruit faster than the one that is planted immediately in the ground. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out 1.5 – 2 months before planting in open ground. For growing seedlings, medium-sized containers are taken.
Before sowing, the seeds are kept for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. After that, they are slightly buried in the soil mixture for seedlings, covered with a film and the containers are removed in a warm place with a temperature of at least 20 degrees. Crops are periodically watered and aired daily to prevent their decay and the occurrence of blackleg disease.
Young plants need bright sunlight. It is also worth considering that a draft negatively affects fragile seedlings. With good care, seedlings grow and develop rapidly, if this does not happen, top dressing should be applied using any mineral complex.
The grown seedlings, in which the first pair of leaves has formed, dive into separate pots, doing this very carefully, trying not to damage the root system. When the plants have 7 – 9 leaves, you can plant them in a permanent place in the garden. This work for better rooting should be done in the afternoon, preferably in cloudy weather. The site for planting is prepared in advance, they dig it up, add humus and wood ash.
Since most species of physalis are highly branched, it is necessary to plant bushes in the garden at a distance of at least 40 – 50 cm. The planting hole should be deep enough so that the seedling can sink into it to the first bottom leaf. When planting, the roots of the plant are straightened, the hole is filled with soil, then the area around the bush is tamped and watered. After planting, it is recommended to mulch the soil with a layer of sawdust or peat to reduce the number of watering, loosening and weeding.
Planting physalis cuttings and part of the rhizomes
There are other equally effective ways to propagate this culture. So, a part of a creeping rhizome located close to the soil surface is taken from an ornamental species, and part of it is separated. This work is carried out in autumn or spring. The rhizome must have well-developed shoots. The separated part of the plant is planted immediately in a permanent place.
Physalis are propagated by cuttings in July – the apical stems with 2-3 internodes are cut into cuttings.
The cuttings are half placed in loose soil, a mini-greenhouse is made, covering them with a perforated film. For successful rooting, the cuttings need to be regularly watered and ventilated. Do not allow direct sunlight, which will have a detrimental effect on a fragile plant.
Rules for growing strawberry physalis
When breeding this species, certain rules must be observed. Physalis strawberry is grown from seeds in seedlings at home, since the growing season of this plant is 3.5 months. If you plant the seeds immediately in open ground, they are very likely to freeze. Seeds for sowing can be purchased at the store.
When buying Physalis seed, you should also take care of the soil. For this plant, a soil mixture for tomatoes and peppers is suitable. Before laying in the ground, the seeds are removed in cotton-gauze bags, which are immersed in a solution of intense pink potassium permanganate and kept in it for 20 minutes. After that, the bags are transferred to the Epin solution and the seeds are kept in it for 12 hours. Then the seeds are well dried and sowing begins.
This work is carried out in March. Seeds are slightly buried in moistened soil and sprinkled on top with a layer of earth 5–10 mm thick. For better germination, the crops are covered with glass and cleaned in a warm, well-lit place with a temperature of 20 – 22 degrees. After the appearance of sprouts, the glass is removed. When the plants have 3 – 5 leaves, they dive into peat pots, deepening to the lower leaves. During picking, weak, lagging behind in development seedlings are removed. Seedling care consists in fertilizing with complex fertilizer and periodic watering.
Before planting physalis in open ground in April, with the onset of warm days, the seedlings begin to harden. To do this, they are taken out into the street and kept at first for 2 – 3 hours, gradually increasing the time spent in the air, then throughout the day, at night they are brought into the room. You can harden plants on the balcony.
In early days or mid-May, hardened and strengthened seedlings are placed in open ground, covered with a film on top. Watering after planting is carried out with caution, allowing the soil to dry out, otherwise, under a film cover with excess moisture, the plants may rot.
To get a complete picture of how the work of growing and caring for strawberry physalis is carried out, look at a selection of photos..
How Physalis is used
Since physalis has many types, it is used for a variety of purposes. Decorative serves to decorate the site, it is in deserved demand in landscape design. After flowering, bright orange cups remain on the bushes, which persist for a long time, do not fall off.
Decorative physalis is used to decorate mixborders, used in group plantings to create bright spots on lawns. This flower is good in winter bouquets.
Physalis is well stored in the winter in the apartment, on the windowsill, in a cardboard box, always in cases that are removed as needed, and the berries are washed in hot water to wash off the sticky layer.
Edible species of physalis are used in cooking in the preparation of various desserts and in conservation. Fruits of edible species and varieties have a high content of vitamins and trace elements. They are consumed fresh, used to prepare medicinal infusions and decoctions for the treatment of cystitis, rheumatism, urolithiasis, elimination of edema and much more.
Ornamental physalis berries are poisonous, so they should not be eaten.
You can find out more interesting and useful information about how physalis grows by watching the video on this page.