# ground cherry lookalike



## crocee (Jul 30, 2008)

As to not hijack the other thread I started this one looking for an answer.

Last year there was a weed in my garden. It looks like the definition of a ground cherry except that its taller. Its got a fruit about the size of a large grape encased in a paper type covering. The plant itself looks like a weed and not like a tomatillo. I didn't plant it and I don't think its a volunteer as this is the first garden in probably 8 years. Besides I don't think volunteers could withstand the winters ice and super cold temps we had the last couple seasons. Any ideas? DH said they were not real tall but certainly taller than the ground cherry I saw on wikipedia.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Physalis species include tomatillo and have many common names as there are many different species. 
Groundcherry and cape gooseberry and etc. They are invasive weeds because they make many seeds.
If you are letting commercial varieties go to seed that are hybrids for improved fruit size you may have seedlings that are reversions to the original parental character of the more wild types. 
Lee


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## crocee (Jul 30, 2008)

There are about 20 plants that just sorta "pop" up in the garden. I wonder if these revisions are edible?


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## kuwaha (Aug 22, 2009)

Try one - I did  They're not too tasty... got a little flavour like the ground cherries I remember but not worth eating IMO, wish the real things would grow like the "weeds"


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## Narrow Chance (Oct 29, 2007)

Here's a little info on the Chinese Lanterns... some say poisonous.. some say not.
The ones we have growing wild here are definetly in the nightshade family.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/flower/chineselanterns.htm


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

The truth is all nightshade family plants are toxic it's just been part of our food for so long we are used to the problems they cause. There is a lot of information about inflammatory disease relating it to tomatoes potatoes peppers and the like. If you stop eating this entire family of plants you will loose 10 pounds of edema bloat that you are carrying to protect your cells from the irritants in these plants. Then you will have fewer joint aches and less digestive problems overall. Nightshades are neurotoxins and the damage is slow and over time and always attributed to other things but these foods are really not something humans are adapted to eating without consequences. 

The tox­ins found in Night­shades include scopo­lamine -atropine- sola­nine and nico­tine. 
But we like how they taste (or make us feel as in tobacco) so we eat them and adjust to how they make us feel.
The amazing thing is to go without for 90 days and then eat a bunch- the result is often radical allergy symptoms- hives and dizziness etc. 
Lee


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

and will kill your goats so don't throw them over the fence. A friend got them in hay and killed a bunch of goats and a horse she had.


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