How do you recognise Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi)?

Leaf

Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0

Chinese lantern

Physalis alkekengi L.

Also known as: Bladder cherry, Japanese lantern

Family: Solanaceae

40 to 60 cm tall

Gardens, borders, rich, moist soils

Flowering: June – July

Full sun

Part shade

Hardy to -25°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Its orange fruit, enclosed in a fine papery lantern-shaped cage, makes it a much sought-after plant for dried bouquets. Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi) has a bright orange-red calyx and a fruit that is not very edible raw; Cape gooseberry has a yellowish-brown calyx and a sweet fruit grown for eating.

🍃 Leaves

Ovate, pointed, bright green

🌸 Flowers

Small, inconspicuous cream-white flowers

🍎 Fruits

Orange berry enclosed in a papery lantern-shaped calyx

🪵 Bark

Herbaceous perennial with upright, slightly branched stems.

🗺️ Distribution

Southern Europe, Asia; locally naturalised in France, mostly grown in gardens for its decorative lanterns.

🐝 Value for pollinators

Small, inconspicuous whitish flowers, little visited; ornamental interest lies mainly in the orange lantern-like calyces.

✂️ Horticultural uses

Borders and beds for its bright orange lantern-like calyces, widely used in dried bouquets.

⚠️ Possible toxicity

The ripe fruits (surrounded by their orange husk) are eaten, whereas the green parts and unripe fruits contain alkaloids and must not be eaten.

⚠️ Look-alike species

Chinese lantern

Physalis alkekengi

Cape gooseberry

Physalis peruviana

Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi) has a bright orange-red calyx and a fruit that is not very edible raw; Cape gooseberry has a yellowish-brown calyx and a sweet fruit grown for eating.

🌿 Other Solanaceae to discover

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.