Ground cherry
Also called Husk cherry · Strawberry tomato · Strawberry groundcherryPhysalis pruinosa · Solanaceae family
A papery husk turns this small fruit into a natural parcel. In the garden, falling fruit is part of the harvest signal rather than necessarily a sign that the crop has been lost.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
Ground cherries are small golden berries, each in its own papery wrapper. The heirloom Aunt Molly's tastes sweet and tart, with notes of vanilla and pineapple. A ripe one drops from the plant, husk and all, ready for a snack, a pie or a spoonful of jam.
What it is
Ground cherry, Physalis pruinosa, belongs to the tomato family. Aunt Molly's, a Polish heirloom variety, has berries about 1.3–1.9 cm (½–¾ in) across. Each contains juicy pulp and many small edible seeds. The husk turns brown and papery as the fruit ripens, and comes off before eating. Only the ripe berry is food; green fruit, leaves and husks are toxic.
Where it comes from
Ground cherries and their relatives are plants of the Americas: most come from Central and South America, with some species native to North America. Aunt Molly's took a longer road, reaching the US from Poland; it was mentioned in Pennsylvania as early as 1837, perhaps carried by Polish immigrants, and is popular today among the Pennsylvania Dutch. Aunt Molly's, Goldie and Pineapple are all good varieties for Minnesota gardens.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens, ground cherries become jams and preserves; their natural pectin also makes them good in pies, and they go into fruit salads or on top of ice cream. Their sweet-tart taste works with savoury ingredients too. A Pennsylvania home cook's ground-cherry salsa pulses the fruit with roasted tomato, red onion, jalapeño, lime and cilantro, then chills it before serving.
How it's grown
Ground cherries grow on low plants, usually less than 76 cm (30 in) tall, that may sprawl rather than stand upright. In Minnesota, seeds start indoors six to seven weeks ahead, and the plants move outside once all danger of frost has passed. Aunt Molly's fruits 75 to 90 days after transplanting. Ripe berries fall in their dried husks; a mulch of clean straw keeps the fallen fruit clean.
When and where you'll find it
In Frederick County, Maryland, Serenity Grove Farm's 2022 crop gave a first small picking on July 3, peaked at the end of August and fell away towards the end of September. The farm sells its ground cherries at a farmers' market, where coworkers shared them and brought in new customers.
Left in their husks, the berries keep for 3–4 weeks somewhere cool and dry.
Sources · 8
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What it tastes like
Sweeter than a banana, as mild as a peach≈
More about the taste
The pulp is juicy, with many small edible seeds; flavor is often compared to pineapple and vanilla. Fully ripe fruit drops from the plant inside its dry husk.
The pulp is juicy, with many small edible seeds, and turns golden-yellow when ripe.
Flavor is often described as sweet-tart, with pineapple-like and vanilla-like notes, though descriptions vary.
Choose, ripen, store, eat
1ChooseFully ripe, fallen fruit
Look for
- Fully ripe, fallen fruit
- Beige-to-tan husk
Look for fully ripe fruit that has fallen, inside its beige-to-tan husk. Avoid unripe fruit and other plant parts.
2RipenDoesn’t ripen after picking
Doesn’t ripen after pickingStart with ripe ground cherries rather than expecting green ones to improve much after picking — one farm found very few green fruits turned yellow even after weeks indoors.
3StoreCool, sound fruit
- CoolSound fruitHusk around fruit
Keep the husk around sound fruit until you're ready to use it, and store cool.
4EatRipe berry, Seeds · not husk, leaves, immature fruit
Eat
Ripe berrySeedsNot eaten
HuskLeavesImmature fruitThe ripe berry and its small seeds are the edible part; the papery husk, leaves and immature fruit are not eaten.
More tips
Worth knowing
- When buying husk cherries, ask whether the fruit was allowed to reach natural-drop maturity. In a home garden planting, use the dry husk and drop cue together.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good hereUsual monthsJust arrivedAt their bestLast chanceAll yearWhere it is in its usual monthsToday, Oct 22Grown hereIn season in your stateShips fromIn season where it grows
10 names in 5 languages
- 地樱桃Chinese
Cook it
Strange but trueScienceWhere the name came from
If you like Ground cherry
Tastes alike
Close relatives
Same plant family
Sources
Sources
Ground cherry · Fruitopia · checked Sep 22, 2026