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Groundcherry

Physalis virginiana

Summary 5

Physalis virginiana, commonly known as the Virginia groundcherry, is a rhizomatous perennial plant with a deeply buried stem base. It is found mostly in eastern North America and as far west as Wyoming.

Botanical Information 6

Virginia groundcherry is in the Solonaceae family, also known as the nightshade family. It looks like a small but wild tomatillo plant. The genus is Physalis and its species is Physalis virginiana. It grows from 1-2 feet tall and has 3 inch long leaves that are pointed at the tip. The small yellow flowers hang down from stalks and are 3/4 inches in diameter. They are composed of 5 yellow petals that have been fused to form a bell shaped flower that is hairy on the outside and has a dark purple to brown ring that forms on the base of the petals inside the bell. The fruit is initially a green berry that ripens to a red-orange color enclosed in a papery sack (like a tomatillo!).

Ecological Information 6

Of the 29 species of Physalis, P. virginiana is one of the most widespread throughout the US. ranging from the Eastern parts of the country to as far west as Wyoming and including New Mexico. The type of habitats that the Virginia groundcherry prefer is partly shady and partly sunny. It likes sandy or rocky soil, prairies, waste areas, and along the railroads. It serves as a food source for various wildlife. The different kinds of animals that eat it are insects like fleas, beetles, and bees.

Ethnobotanical Information 7

The Virginia groundcherry’s leaves and stem are poisonous. The fruit is edible when it is ripe, though it is poisonous before it is ripe and should be treated with extreme caution. Although this plant is not commonly used medicinally, extracts from the plant have shown some effectiveness in treating cancer. It has also been reported that the Meskawaki tribe made an infusion of the whole plant for treating dizziness. (Note: Ethnographic reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)

References 8

https://uswildflowers.com/detail.php?SName=Physalis%20virginiana
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Physalis+virginiana
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/virginia-ground-cherry

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (2021, 7 25). Physalis virginiana. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/26728/

About the Author 9

Student author(s)*: Nina (age 13) and Arletter (age 14) from South Valley Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/2901926788/
  2. (c) Dan Mullen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/8583446@N05/2869735175/
  3. (c) Nikol Lohr, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarpants/5958455125/
  4. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/9627842982/
  5. Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_virginiana
  6. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  7. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  8. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  9. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

Range Map

(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)

iNat Map

Color yellow
Fruit Green
Type herb
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