We came across this tasty little treat in Peru while teaching about seed saving in the Sacred Valley. We fell in love with its unique flavor!
The goldenberry grow and got to over 5 feet tall on our farm! It can be quite ornamental (it looks just like a little tomatillo) and can be used in a food forest, permaculture design, ornamental gardens, and more. It grows especially well in zones 9 and 10, and it’s quite pest-resistant!
Wait for the fruit to ripen before eating. You’ll see them fall off the plant, and the skin might even stretch. If you manage to not eat them all at once, consider making a jam or dehydrating them!
You might also hear it called the Cape Gooseberry, Inca Berry, Aztec Berry, Pichu Berry, Coqueret of Peru, Pineapple Tomatillo, or other regional names – they’re all the delicious Physalis peruviana!
You can start seeds directly into your soil, but we prefer to start them inside and then transplant them.
Organic Peruvian Ground Cherry Seeds: https://sandiegoseedcompany.com/shop/peruvian-ground-cherry/
19 Comments
Have you tried growing (or eating) this tasty fruit?
Awesome Video! I love these Little Cherries, and I am so glad we Purchased from San Diego Seed Company!
I bought some seeds from you a few months back to plant out this next season. I was wondering if you have any tips on the kind of growing conditions this plant likes. I’m in central California zone 9B we have quite a few days per year that are over 102 degrees. I’m wondering if I should plant these in partial shade. I’m also curious about the type of soil they like and if they have any pruning requirements to perennialize
I bought some and planted them in August. My first flower bloomed on friday. I hope i get some cherries before the winter comes!!
I purchased these last year and grew seedlings late summer and planted in early fall to see if they would grow in my zone 7. They grew about a foot tall then the frost got to them. So now I know they will grow and plan on trying again next year. Can't wait to taste some, look amazing.
I found mine at Trader Joe’s LOL
It's a wild plant that grows everywhere
Cool
Do I have to plant annually or does it come every year
I’m in zone 5 Canada…if I start these as seedlings indoors a few weeks before my last frost date, do u think 3 months will be enough once planted outside for them to mature?
There is very little information on growing, nutrients, etc on these ground cherries! Can you do an in depth video about these from start to finish! I just bought the pack and they sprouted!!! I would love for information while I’m growing them!!!
I just got the seeds for these. My husband had a chocolate bar from Ecuador with dried golden berries in it. I can’t wait to get a harvest. These are amazing when they are dehydrated!
I cannot seem to get my ground cherries to grow… I have tried as starts to transplant and direct sow and I got nothing
I india that ground cherries were grow themselves in villages but we think they are waste plants and we didn't harvest them
You didn't say anything about making salsa and you're in San Diego.😑
literally just picked one up at Home Depot….
I struggle to get the seeds of our ground cherries and gooseberries to germinate. Any suggestions
Just in case anyone comes back and watches this video and then reads the comments, I got two varieties of these ground cherries. The Polish Tart and the Peruvian Ground Cherry. Both are sweet and delicious. We love snacking on them when we walk through the garden. The Polish Tart is still very sweet for a nightshade. Think tomato but very sweet. The Peruvian is sweet and has a tropical fruit like taste, like maybe it has additional potassium (like a banana) in it? That particular banana like flavor is also in the Tiny Tim Tomato that they sell at SDSC. And this variety was also very delicious.
I bought these seed from you and they germinated great! The bushes got really big so I'm stoked. I am growing them in containers because of gophers. (Do gophers go for these?) Now it's the beginning of harvest time and a lot of these look fine, but when I pick them up from the ground, there are just seeds in a husk. I'm not sure what is going on. The container they are in is huge and I have gotten several with fruit in the husk, but I would say the majority are "empty". It's kind of like getting coal in your Christmas stocking… pretty on the outside but unpleasant surprise on the inside. (Not that I have ever gotten coal….) Any feedback would really be appreciated. I'm trying to decide about next year….