| Sunberry | |
| Physalis minima | |
| a.k.a. Wild Cape Gooseberry |
A round, shiny-skinned fruit about the size of a cherry tomato, having a sweet and pleasant acid flavor that is high in vitamin C.
Description: A fairly low-growing annual, usually to 1-3ft. Typical Physalis growth pattern and shape, with some branching and pretty yellow flowers borne at nodes. Fruits ripen in a couple of months and are enclosed in a green-yellow papery calyx which protects them from pests.
Hardiness: Not frost hardy, but can be grown pretty much anywhere as an annual.
Growing Environment: Loves full sun or part shade and regular water. Makes a great container specimen. Grow in well-drained soil of pretty much any type.
Propagation: By seeds, which usually germinate within 1-8 weeks.
Uses: The ripen fruits are eaten fresh and generally receive good marks for their taste. An additional benefit is that they are high in vitamin C. Raw fruits can be cooked like a vegetable. There are a few medicinal uses and some studies have shown plant extracts have some anticancer activity.
Native Range: Native through Southeast Asia and into Northern Australia.