FREE: Chinese lantern plant vegetable seed

The listing, Chinese lantern plant vegetable seed has ended.

Name :
Chinese Lantern Plant.
Hardy Perennial.
Blooms: July to October
Bloom Colour: Creamy-white, maturing into orange-red lanterns
Height 60cm (24in)
Spread: 60-90cm (34-36in)
Position: Full sun or light shade.
Soil type: Well-drained/light.
Physalis franchetti is a highly attractive and much loved plant with a mound forming habit and mid green coloured leaves. Each year it makes a good show producing creamy-white star shaped flowers, which are followed by bright orange-red, paper-like lanterns in autumn..
Once dried they keep their colour and last quite a long time, they are especially good to see on gloomy autumn days.
Physalis is a genus of plants that are native to warm temperate and subtropical regions. They are herbaceous plants and are a relative of the common tomato. The plant wraps up each fruit in its own 'paper bag' (the ‘calyx’) to protect it from pests and the elements.
Most varieties are prized for their edible fruits which grow within the lanterns but are tender and will die at the first frosts. Physalis franchetti is quite different, a hardy plant but the fruits are sour and can be quite poisonous if eaten in quantity.
Sowing: Sow in Spring, February to April
Sow into pots or trays containing seed compost. “just cover” the seed with a sprinkling of sieved soil or vermiculite. Place in a greenhouse or cold frame at around 18-22*C (65-72*F). The seeds will germinate in less than two weeks.In areas where frost may be a problem, provide small plants and seedlings with some protection,
Cultivation:
The plant likes a sunny location, preferably sheltered from strong winds.
Very good results are obtained on rather poor sandy ground. If the soil is too rich it encourages leaf production at the expense of fruiting. Even moderate fertilizer tends to encourage excessive vegetative growth and to depress flowering.