FREE: Heirloom Herb/Fruit ✽ CHINESE LANTERN ✽ 15 Seeds ✽ Organic

The listing, Heirloom Herb/Fruit ✽ CHINESE LANTERN ✽ 15 Seeds ✽ Organic has ended.

These are seeds from my amazing Chinese Lantern, also called Strawberry Ground Cherry. They are beautiful! Largely grown for its vividly colored, orange-red, lantern-shaped fruits which are widely used for dried bouquets. The fruits may also be used in salads, jams and jellies, but need to be ripe. They start with white to yellow flowers hiding under the foliage in spring, then finish in late summer to fall with brightly colored "paper lanterns," hiding the berry. The fruit is higher in Vitamin C than a lemon and as has a sour taste. It grows in a variety of soils in full sun to part shade. They reproduce by seed or underground shoots. Plant in a controlled area to keep from becoming aggressive. I plant them next to the grass so I can hit the travelers with the lawn mower. They are reliable bloomers and reproduce very well, giving you years of enjoyment. They are very hardy and very little care is needed. They get a bit nibbled by aphids on occasion, but that does not hurt the berries. They thrive well in poor, well-drained soil. The only time I water these wonders are when I divide and replant them. I believe the "strong shall survive" in my garden. You will appreciate my motto!

Family: Solanaceae (so-lan-AY-see-ee)
Genus: Physalis (fy-SAL-is)
Species: alkekengi (al-KEK-en-jee)

Category:
Perennials (comes back every year)

Height:
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)

Spacing:
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 2a: to -45.5 °C (-50 °F)
to USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Sun to Partial Shade

This Auction: You will be receiving 15 seeds from my garden. They will be sent First Class mail. I have never tried these by seed myself, as they come up in abundance in my garden already. May be winter-sown.

Propagation Method: Sow seeds shallow in soil 6 weeks before last spring frost. Sow 3-5 seeds per pot. About 10 days before the last spring frost, begin hardening the plants to the outdoors. Transplant your plants to a sunny location.