Giant Cape Gooseberry Mix Seeds
Giant Cape Gooseberry Mix Seeds - Physalis peruviana - Inca Berry, Goldenberry, Northern Pineapple
Inca Berry, Goldenberry, Northern Pineapple
- Hardy to Zone 8
Full Sun
- Germination Tested December 3, 2025: 80%
- 40-50 seeds per packet
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Cape Gooseberry is a delicious fruit native to South America. It is also called goldenberry, Peruvian groundcherry, Inca berry, aguaymanto, uvilla or uchuva. I find these to be much tastier than regular ground cherries (eg Aunt Molly's). They taste like a sweet and tropical pineapple with hints of vanilla. They barely have any tartness like regular ground cherries.
In the winter of 2023/24, I sourced as many giant and extra sweet varieties of cape gooseberry that I could find from around the world. I grew them altogether, and they produced the largest and tastiest berries I've ever eaten. One of the largest berries was 12.3 grams! (My friend Marie-ève has since grown a 14 gram berry!)
These berries require a long season, so I'd only recommend them for folks with long seasons, greenhouses, or really hot and sunny gardens. On Vancouver Island, I start these earlier than my tomatoes around early February, and plant out in my unheated greenhouse in April/May. The plants will have ripe berries from late August-December, if they don't freeze too hard.
The round orange fruits grow inside a papery husk. You can tell they are ripe when the husk (calyx) turns tan and papery. Wait until they are fully ripe to eat and they will have a very sweet, tropical fruit flavour with a hint of vanilla. You can even leave them on the counter for a few days or several weeks for an even sweeter taste.
These fruits will last for several months in their papery husks on the kitchen counter without any preservation. They make a delightful tropical treat in January!
A shared some with a friend this summer who is an avid foodie and world traveler. He knows the best restaurants in every major city in the world. He said this was the best thing he'd eaten in years!
Cape Gooseberries are fabulous eaten fresh off the plant, as a garnish on fancy desserts, in baking (think cape gooseberry upside down cake), salsa, jam, cocktails, fruit salad, or dried. I like to think of them as "northern pineapples" because they can be used somewhat like a pineapple substitute.
Unlike regular ground cherries that are low growing, Cape Gooseberry is tall (up to 8 feet), which makes picking the fruits much easier. It produces a lot of biomass (leaves and stems) which is helpful for composting in the permaculture garden. Don't give them the most nutritious soil so they put more energy into berries and less into leaves.
I've been able to overwinter this species two years in a row. One winter was -15C, and one was -10C. I'd recommend chopping the plants back to the ground after they've been frozen and wilted, and then piling up a thick layer or straw mulch for the winter.
This year's seeds were grown by my friend Evann of Farm Isadora in Nanoose.
Growing Instructions
Growing Instructions
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
By placing an order, customers agree to the shipping & refund policies detailed on this page.
Local Pickup
Local Pickup is available for free at Baba Yaga's Kitchen on Swayne Road in Errington. Select "Pickup" at checkout. Pickup times are ONLY Monday to Wednesday, 10am-8pm. We will send you an email when your order is ready for pickup.
Please note that our farm sites are private residences and are not open to the public.
Shipping within Canada
We ship seeds in Canada via Canada Post's regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-4 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order, but occasionally letter mail takes up to 6 weeks, especially to the Eastern provinces and rural areas.
Customers can now opt for tracked, express shipping options at checkout if you require faster delivery and/or tracking.
Larger bulbs and plants are usually sent via tracked flat rate box.
Shipping to the US
UPDATE FEB 2, 2026: WE ARE TAKING A BREAK ON ACCEPTING US ORDERS DUE TO ISSUES WITH USPS
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Shipping Internationally
International customers can select tracked or untracked shipping at checkout. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. We are not able to send any live plant materials internationally. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held or confiscated by customs, or for any additional duties or tariffs placed on your order.
International shipping countries include: Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom. (List updated Aug 31, 2026)
This list may change without notice. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts.
Refund Policy
Refunds: We stand behind our seeds, so if for some reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, please reach out to us via email and we will do our best to make it right. Please note that shipping costs are non-refundable.
Cancelled orders: If you wish to cancel an order after purchasing, we may refund your order minus card processing and admin fees at our discretion. We do not accept returns on seeds or plants.
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Ecologically Grown
Ecologically Grown
Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
