Giant Cape Gooseberry Mix Seeds

Giant Cape Gooseberry Mix Seeds - Physalis peruviana - Inca Berry, Goldenberry, Northern Pineapple

Physalis peruviana
Inca Berry, Goldenberry, Northern Pineapple

Hardy to Zone 10
Full Sun
Germination Tested November 22, 2024: 100%

40-50 seeds per packet

$5.00 CAD

Sale Sold out

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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!

These berries require a long season, so I'd only recommend them for folks with long seasons and/or greenhouses. 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-October

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 actually 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 grow these as annuals, but a friend of mine has overwintered them successfully in Victoria, BC by adding a foot of straw mulch for winter.

Growing Instructions

Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, or even earlier if you can. In southwest BC, I aim to start these indoors in Jan or Feb. Seeds benefit from bottom heat when germinating. Treat as you would tomatoes. Grow in full sun. Always grow at least two plants for cross pollination. Cape Gooseberry can grow quite tall, so staking may be required. Harvest fruits when the husks turn tan and papery for best flavour. Keep the soil lean (not too much compost/nitrogen) to limit leafy grown and promote more fruits.

Shipping & Returns

We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight, United States for $20, and Internationally for $20*. Live plants, bulbs, and bulbils can only be shipped within Canada. Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars, and may change without notice.

Shipping in Canada

We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-3 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order, but occasionally orders take longer, especially to Ontario and East.

Customers can now opt for tracked, express shipping options at checkout if you require faster delivery.

Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.

Shipping to the US

We now require all US shoppers to obtain a Small Lot Seed Permit before we can mail your seeds. It's free to apply and you will likely be granted the permit instantly. We appreciate if you can email us your permit as soon as you can after your purchase.

How to apply for your Small Seed Lot Import Permit:

Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit.
Under the Commodity Type drop down, make sure you select the "Small Lots of Seed". See screenshot below.
It's best to list "Eligible Taxa" instead of listing all the species you'd like to import so you don't need to worry about missing any species you ordered.
Once you receive your permit, promptly email us 2 documents: a copy of your permit and a copy of the yellow/green shipping labels. Tell us if which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose one. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
We are not able to send any pepper or tomato seeds, or any live plant materials to the US due to restrictions.

What happens next?

After receiving your documentation, we will mail your seeds to an inspection facility in the US. We will ship via tracked parcel, and you will receive the tracking number when your order has shipped. Orders will be mailed first to a plant inspection facility in the US, then they forward the package on to your address after inspection. Tracking is only available to the inspection facility, not to your address.

The mail and inspection process can take several weeks, depending on how long the inspection takes. Unfortunately we are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs, or for any duties or tariffs placed on your order.

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: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.

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: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page

Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option.