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Physalis pruinosa - L.

Strawberry Tomato

Author	L.	Botanical references	43, 170, 200
Family	Solanaceae	Genus	Physalis
Synonyms	Physalis grisea - (Waterf.)M.Martinez. Physalis pubescens grisea - Waterf.
Known Hazards	All parts of the plant, except the fruit, are poisonous[19, 65].
Range	Eastern N. America - Wisconsin, New York and south to Florida.
Habitat	Dry open often sandy soils, old fields and wasteland[43].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.6m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked in pies, preserves etc[105]. A delicious bitter sweet flavour. The plant conveniently wraps up each fruit in its own 'paper bag' (botanically, the calyx) to protect it from pests and the elements. This calyx is toxic and should not be eaten.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any well-drained soil in full sun or light shade[200]. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties. Similar to P. peruviana[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse only just covering the seed. Germination usually takes place quickly and freely. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of fairly rich soil when they are large enough to handle and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Consider giving them some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well. Diurnal temperature fluctuations assist germination[170].

Cultivars

No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Links

References

[19] Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3
Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[170] Dremann. C. G. Ground Cherries, Husk Tomatoes and Tomatilloes. Redwood City Seed Co 1985 ISBN 0-933421-03-6
Only a small booklet but it covers the various species in some depth.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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