At maturity, the husks are about 2' long, and approximately 1.5' at their greatest width.įoliage: Dark green leaves, about 3' long, resemble a crumpled English ivy. They're not attention grabbers, and you just want them to get it over with so the green calyxes begin to grow from their bases, enveloping the plant's developing fruit and achieving their signature orange to red color in fall. They're white, bell-shaped, and tiny, and are the equivalent to watching local real estate agency slideshows in the theater before a blockbuster movie. Physalis alkekengi has a deep taproot and prefers deep irrigation every 5 to 7 days.įlowers: Chinese lantern flowers bloom in July. Watering Requirements: For best results, keep your Chinese lantern roots evenly and consistently moist, without waterlogging the soil. Soil Requirements: Loose, compost-amended, well-draining soil with a pH range of 6.2 to 7.4. Chinese lanterns tolerate partial shade the way we tolerate root canals.

Or, just send the kids and pets to Grandma's house during the growing period. Given that its leaves and developing fruit are toxic to pets and animals, we recommend growing Chinese lanterns away from pathways and out of arm's reach. The fused calyxes that create the 'lanterns' have a heart-shaped silhouette and are distributed all over the plant when it's grown under ideal conditions. In some areas, Chinese lanterns are considered to be invasive and should be kept in large pots and deadheaded to remove their seed pods. They typically don't bloom until their second season, though fall-seeded plants might produce their flowers and fused calyxes during their first 'official' spring.Īs with many aspects of gardening, patience pays off.Ĭhinese lanterns propagate by growing new shoots from a spreading root system, and by re-seeding. It's important to note that perennial Chinese lanterns dedicate their first growing season to establishing a deep root system. Grieve from A Modern Herbal writes, Chinese lantern fruits are a common item on German, Swiss, and Spanish menus, which flummoxes us given all the delicious food they've got over there. And yes, the fruits inside Chinese lantern's decorative, papery husks are indeed edible.though not at all flavorful, according to most. It's important to note that some of the common names applied to Physalis alkekengi also refer to other closely-related but toxic species, so it's always best to verify a plant's botanical name before eating it.

Bladder cherry (Physa is Greek for 'bladder,' a reference to the fruit's papery husk.).

Avicenna, 980 – 1037).Ĭhinese lanterns have several common names, including: In a Perso-Arabic traditional medicine called Unani ('Greek' in Urdu), medicinal use of the plant draws upon Hippocrates' ancient teachings as well as the writings of Persia's 'Father of Medicine,' Ibn Sīnā (a.k.a. It's called Hozuki in Japan, where festivals centered around the plant use the seeds as offerings to guide the dead, or simply celebrate the plant's decorative husks.

Though it's most widely known as Chinese lantern and is native to Asia and southern Europe, Physalis alkekengi isn't beholden to one culture.

Chinese lantern plant care