Little Lanterns, Husk Cherry

Little Lanterns Husk Cherry Seed

Compact plants fit containers and smaller garden spaces
Sweet fruits ripen inside lantern-like papery husks
Weather-tolerant growth supports dependable production
Harvest when husks brown, split, or fall

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Physalis pruinosa

Days to maturity

70 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

20 Seeds

About Little Lanterns, Husk Cherry Seed, Husk Cherry Seed

This husk cherry plant has compact productive growth that has good weather tolerance. Sweet, edible fruit hides inside a papery husk resembling a paper lantern. Harvest fruits when the papery husk turns light brown and splits open or falls to ground. Suitable for small space gardens. Excellent fresh or added to fruit salads or party trays, jams, jellies, sauces.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/8"

Days to Germination

7–14 days

In-row plant spacing

18-24"

Row Spacing

3-4'

Plant profile

Maturity

Summer, Fall

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

36 inches

Growth Habits

Spreading, Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

40,000

Color

Orange

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Warm-Season Crop

Before Planting

Choose a warm, full-sun site with well-drained soil and enough room for the low, spreading plants. Work in finished compost, keep nitrogen moderate, and plan to mulch beneath the canopy so ripe fruit stays clean when it drops.

Planting

Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Sow about 1/4 inch deep in warm mix, give seedlings strong light, and pot them up if roots become crowded. Harden plants gradually and transplant only after frost danger has passed and the soil is warm.

Watering

Water deeply enough to keep moisture fairly even while plants flower and fill fruit, then let the upper soil begin to dry before watering again. Mulch helps prevent sharp wet-dry swings and keeps fallen fruit off bare soil.

Fertilizer

If a soil test indicates a need, apply a balanced vegetable fertilizer at planting or shortly afterward. Avoid heavy or repeated nitrogen feeding, which favors sprawling foliage over flowers and fruit.

Harvesting

Ripe husk cherries usually fall from the plant after the husk turns tan, dry, and papery. Gather fallen fruit frequently, discard damaged fruit, and let sound fruit finish coloring in its husk if needed. Do not eat green, unripe fruit.

Tips

A straw mulch makes collection easier. Plants generally need little pruning, but a low cage can keep branches contained. Remove volunteer seedlings where self-sowing is not wanted and rotate away from other nightshade crops.

Pests & Diseases

Early blight, Septoria leaf spot, Verticillium wilt, and viruses can affect husk cherry. Remove spotted lower leaves and rotate away from tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants. Plants with persistent wilt or mosaic should be discarded. Gather fallen ripe fruit often so damaged husks do not invite secondary rot.

Flea beetles, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, hornworms, and cutworms can cause damage. Check seedlings and leaf undersides early, use row cover before flowering where flea beetles are severe, and remove cover when pollination is needed.