Loewen Family Heirloom Ground Cherry
Heirloom
- Organic
- Fruits grow to 2/3" in diameter
- 80 days from transplant
Item Details
The very productive plants have sprawling growth and the tangy and sweet fruits are about ⅔" in diameter and encased in a papery husk. We found these to be slightly sweeter and smaller than Aunt Molly's. Allow the fruit to fall to the ground before harvesting. This ground cherry has been passed down through at least four generations of women; it was brought to Canada from Russia in 1925. 80 days from transplant.
Learn to Grow Loewen Family Heirloom Ground Cherry
Start Indoors: 6 weeks before last frost
Germination: 14 Days
Plant Outdoors: 12-18” Apart
Light: Full Sun
Instructions - Sow seeds indoors ¼" deep. Plant out when the danger of frost has passed. Excellent results when grown on landscape cloth, which suppresses weeds and makes collecting the fruits easier.
Ratings & Reviews
4 reviews
Great for northern zones
by Northern MN
I planted one ground cherry plant to try it out. Did great even though I’m far north, produced a lot of fruit, unique and pleasing taste, no bugs or mold issues. Easy to grow. Will be planting a bunch of these next year!
My new favorite plant, easy to care for and heavy producer
by Challe
This is one of my favorite plants and is a heavy producer. I have a brown thumb and this seed managed to grow vigorously in a pot, was full of fruit at about a foot high. The plant grows as an umbrella with the little lanterns hanging from it. The fruit is delicious, I'm growing a row of these next season.
Slow to germinate, then POW!
by S.Jones
I became impatient waiting for seeds to germinate and kept planting more...then they ALL came up in their own sweet time! Plenty of seedlings to share. Began flowering and setting fruit as quite small plants. Having never tasted a ground cherry, I was anxious to try them out. Delicious little gems! Now I am glad I have so many plants! :D
The kids love this one
by Kenneth
I grew this for the first time a couple of years ago for our kids' garden (3 and 4 years old at the time). Starting mid-late June (Atlanta, GA area), the plants start dropping paper-husked fruit, and the kids love going out to search for the fallen fruit. They taste slightly sweet and gave excellent flavor. Even for our fairly picky kids, these are winners.
Invariably, they miss some, or the slugs get them - but these turn into next year's plants. They've come back completely on their own every year, and this year are looking stronger and healthier than ever.
Highly recommend for a children's edible garden!