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PHYSALIS
. Groundcherry (Chinese Lantern plant)
(Bladder
herb) (Winter cherry)
(From
physa, a bladder; an allusion to the inflated
calyx)
There
are some annuals with showy fruits and among them none
is so much admired as the Chinese Lanternplant, which
produces large, inflated, orange-red, lantern-like pods
containing small, fleshy fruits much like Tomatoes.
The flowers are inconspicuous, being borne in the axils
of the leaves, and it is after the leaves have fallen
that the fruit is most showy. The plants grow 2 feet
high and form dense bushes. Two sorts are cataloged:
Physalis francheti which has large, deep red
pods, and P. alkekengi, which bears deep orange
pods smaller than those of the former species.
UTILIZE.
These plants are attractive in vases, for when cut,
the fruits retain their color all Winter. In drying
these fruits upon the stems, place the latter in a horizontal
position, allowing the lanterns to droop sideways; otherwise
some of the graceful appearance is lost. As garden subjects
they are less valuable because the fruits are produced
late in the Summer, and are more or less hidden.
GENERAL.
These plants often prove perennial, but one had best
sow seed each year. Started in the open ground in early
Spring they grow nicely. They prefer warmth and sunshine
and enjoy frequent watering. They self-sow and in some
places are so prolific as to become almost wild. They
are often riddled with flea-beetles which may be controlled
by spraying with arsenate of lead.
Information
on 50+ annual flowers
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