Growing Cape Gooseberry, also Golden Berry, Inca Berry

Physalis peruviana : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S S S S            
    T T T T T T        
    P P P P P P        

(Best months for growing Cape Gooseberry in Australia - tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 39 - 59 inches apart
  • Harvest in 14-16 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Will happily grow in a flower border but tends to sprawl over other plants.

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for Australia | for all countries
06 Aug 18, (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
I have just picked my rambling cape gooseberry bush clean, anticipating some lovely jam. The berries are tiny. About the size of a small pea! Any hints so I might get fatter ones next year?
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09 Sep 18, Angela (Australia - temperate climate)
I grow the Aunt Molly variant /relative- also known as Ground Cherry. You don’t pick them. You wait till they fall and the case has turned papery and gather them from the ground. This happens very late in the season, seems to take forever. Highly recommend Aunt Molly.
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07 Aug 18, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Poor soil or growing conditions - the amount of sunlight etc. If you have a smaller weak plant then hit it up with some fertiliser or add some compost or manures around the plant for the next crop.
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02 Jul 18, PETER (Australia - temperate climate)
Where can I purchase cape gooseberry seeds
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03 Jul 18, Mike L (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Seed selling companies on the internet. Boondie - New Life Seeds - The Seed Collection Company.
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17 Jun 18, Carole (Australia - temperate climate)
My cape gooseberries are growing well in tubs and flowering and setting fruit. My problem is what looks like black jelly inside the lanterns (fruit) I don't know if it is from cucumber beetles or what it is. Any ideas what it is and how to treat it please. I had cucumbers which got decimated earlier in the season and have seen some striped orange beetles on the berry plants
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18 Jun 18, Mike L (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Pick a few and see what it is. We have cucumber fly here. Don't know about beetles. If fly try some sticky yellow fly catching cardbpard. Some of the cheap $2 shops stock it in Aussie.
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11 Jun 18, Glenis Greenwood (Australia - temperate climate)
In Gosford Cape Gooseberry plant just came up itself. A metre high now has flowers and lanterns some with normal fruit but some with distorted leaves and fruit. Looks healthy otherwise. Is it lacking something or too much fertiliser (blood and bone and maybe a bit of dynamic lifter ). Not a lot of sun. Next to little maples and azaleas in garden bed with bush type mulch
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13 Jun 18, Mike L (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can't really help you - maybe being in the shade all day and staying wet most of the day due to overnight dew leads to some fungus and diseases. Plant some in a sunnier position next year. If leaves are nice and green it has sufficient fertiliser. If leaves are yellow it needs some fert.
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27 May 18, Jeannie (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Will it grow in full sun in Phoenix, AZ?
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Hi, i live in Ontario. I got a golden berry in the husk from the market. i saved the seeds as folows: open the fruit, squeeze all flesh and fruit in a strainer. Wash it well, the flesh will separate. Pick it up and wash the seeds some more. Then you can put them on a paper towel to dry, they will stick to that but you can plant them with the paper, no problem. Or put them on a plate, let them dry well adn the bag them or plant them. I planted about half the seeds. Cover lightly with soil and i set them under growing lights, covered. I started them in January, they took about 3 weeks to emerge, uncovered and let them grow under lights. Potted them up. They say do not fetilize, but the leaves came yellow with green stripes, so i fed them fish emulsion diluted. They grew beautiful. Fed them about 3 times only. Never since. It is end of May and couple of them have a handfull of flowers. I experimented with pinching the top. Online they say do not pinch, let them grow 9 to 12 nodes and they will split naturally. true. The ones not pinched split and the first flowers grows right there. The pinched ones do not have any flowers yet, they are bushier though. I will plant them out in sandy soil in a week. I will save seeds this year and can send to anyone in Canada wanting to try. They are annuals in zone 5 so you need to start them every year. Very easy to grow, and if they make 150 to 300 fruits per plant it is well worth it. In the husk they store up to 3 months at room temperature. I can let you know how long will take from seed to fruit. Have fun !!!

- Adela

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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