Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa)
2 sources cited · Verified
The short answer
- Plant out
- Late March to early April
- Site
- 8+ hours of sun, soil pH 6–6.5
In the UK, ground cherries planted out late March to early April.
Ground cherries (Physalis pruinosa) — Annual, low, sprawling herbaceous plant (Penn State Extension.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the USA: there are 7 separate regional planting out windows, ranging from mid February in Deep South & Gulf Coast to mid May in Intermountain West.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Plant out |
|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest derived | late March to early April |
| Northeast & New England derived | mid April to early May |
| Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley derived | late April to mid May |
| Intermountain West derived | mid May to early June |
| N. Plains & Upper Midwest derived | early May to late May |
| Mid-Atlantic & Upper South derived | mid April to early May |
| Deep South & Gulf Coast derived | mid February to early March |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Pacific Northwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-4 weeks after frost danger passes. Applied to a mean last frost of 8 March (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 22 March to 5 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Northeast & New England - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-4 weeks after frost danger passes. Applied to a mean last frost of 6 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 20 April to 4 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-4 weeks after frost danger passes. Applied to a mean last frost of 16 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 30 April to 14 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Intermountain West - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-4 weeks after frost danger passes. Applied to a mean last frost of 6 May (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 20 May to 3 June. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
N. Plains & Upper Midwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-4 weeks after frost danger passes. Applied to a mean last frost of 25 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 9 May to 23 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Mid-Atlantic & Upper South - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-4 weeks after frost danger passes. Applied to a mean last frost of 4 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 18 April to 2 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Deep South & Gulf Coast - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-4 weeks after frost danger passes. Applied to a mean last frost of 2 February (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 16 February to 2 March. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Pests
Ground Cherry Photo Gallery
References
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Native to Central and South America, with some species native to North America. Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date; transplant outdoors 2-3 weeks after frost danger passes. Does not root at the nodes like tomatoes -- plant transplants at the same soil depth as in the pot. Space plants 4ft apart to accommodate sprawling growth of 1-3ft. Needs 8 hours of direct light daily. Tolerates a wide variety of soils; light fertiliser at transplanting, nitrogen sidedress after first fruit set. Needs 1-1.5in of water weekly. Fruit ripens 10-11 weeks after transplanting outdoors, inside the papery husk, then drops to the ground when fully ripe -- do not pick before this. Most common pests are tobacco and tomato hornworms; monitor for caterpillar droppings (frass) and hand-pick.
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Prefers rich, light, well-drained, slightly acidic soil, pH 6.0-6.5. Plant outdoors two to four weeks after the last expected frost (around June 1 in USDA zone 5b). Plants reach 1.5-3ft tall with lateral spread; allow at least a 2ft x 2ft square per plant. Needs a sunny location; foliage naturally shades the fruit from sunburn, so tolerates heat better than most vegetables. Needs sufficient, regular irrigation; 2-3in of straw mulch suppresses weeds, retains moisture and eases harvest. Fruit drops to the ground when ripe, turning green to golden-yellow; the fruit is fully enclosed in a husk, and the drier the husk, the better. Avoid rotating with other nightshade family crops (aubergine, tomato, pepper, potato) -- they compete for resources and attract similar pests. A notorious self-seeder that can become a garden weed if left unchecked.
2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant ground cherries out in the USA?
In Deep South & Gulf Coast, from mid February. In Intermountain West, wait until mid May. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to plant out only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
What soil pH do ground cherries need?
A pH of about 6–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
Plan next season before the problems start
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
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Last verified 2026-09-03
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