Spring is upon us and the field guides are in the pockets and the plants and animals beckon. Getting in shape for my Three Epochs course at the Farm in Tennessee. At this course we go through hunter/gatherer, settlement and agriculture, and contemporary appropriate technology and suburban and urban skills. It includes the full Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course. Anyway, back to the plants!
After a long hike in the woods a few days ago we exited by the railroad tracks and into a small meadow. At our feet was a plant that looked kind of familiar but, in general, was new and striking to me. I have eaten ground cherries numerous times and somehow this plant seemed like a ground cherry. I checked my field guide and, lo and behold, it is a strawberry tomato, a ground cherry. I made off with a couple of roots for the yard. Here is a description, with the strawberry tomato in bold and italics.
“Physalis – Alkekengi, Cape Gooseberry, Chinese Lantern Plant, Ground Cherry, Husk Tomato, Jamberry, Mexican Husk Tomato, Miltomate, Strawberry Tomato, Tomatillo, Winter Cherry
DESCRIPTION: This is a group of annuals and perennials, which are grown for their fruits and for decoration. They grow wild in Europe, America and Asia and belong to the Potato family, Solanaceae.
Ornamental – P. Alkekengii and its varieties are grown for the decorative value of their brilliantly colored, swollen calyces. These resemble miniature “Chinese Lanterns”, thus one of the common names, Chinese Lantern Plant. Other popular names include Alkekengi and Winter Cherry. These perennials spread by means of underground stems. In gardens, they are sometimes grown as annuals. The Chinese Lantern Plant and its varieties are very pretty in the garden in late summer. The stems bearing the large orange “fruits” are valued for cutting and bringing indoors during the fall and winter months. They last a long time and look quite handsome in a vase. “Fruits” refers to the swollen calyces of the white flowers, which open early in the summer. If they are to be brought in to decorate the house, the stems bearing the pretty calyces should be cut as soon as they have developed their full coloring.
Vegetable – P. pruinosa, P. peruviana and P. ixocarpa are grown for their edible fruits. They are described below.
P. peruviana – Cape Gooseberry, Husk Tomato, or Ground Cherry. The Cape Gooseberry is hardly seen in the U.S. except in Pennsylvania Dutch country and parts of the Midwest. The sprawling vine grows up to 2 feet high and spreads 3 to 4 feet wide. The fruits are ½- to ¾-inch in diameter and are encased in a loose, papery husk shaded with purple. When they are ripe, they resemble yellow Cherry Tomatoes. They are smaller and sweeter than Tomatillos and can be eaten raw or used in preserves.
P. pruinosa – Dwarf Cape Gooseberry, Strawberry Tomato, or Ground Cherry. This is the most popularly grown variety because at 18 to 20 inches high and 2 to 3 feet wide, it is smaller and more manageable than P. peruviana. The fruits are a lot like those of P. peruviana in flavor and size, but the husks are tight fitting and they curl back to expose the ripe fruits.
P. ixocarpa – Tomatillo, Jamberry, Mexican Husk Tomato, or Miltomate. The Tomatillo is a native of Mexico and requires a longer growing season and is more tender than the others. The shiny, flattened fruits are greenish-yellow and average 12 to 2 inches in diameter. They are encased in papery husks. The husks split, but don’t fall off, as the fruits mature and take on a purplish hue. In Latin America, Tomatillos are crushed and used in sauces. They have an agreeable, but not sweet flavor. The plants grow up to 3 feet high and their branches are covered in heart-shaped, elongated leaves with long stems.”