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Physalis peruviana
Inca Berry, Goldenberry, Northern Pineapple
  • Hardy to Zone 10
  • Full Sun
  • Germination Tested November 22, 2024: 100%
  • 40-50 seeds per packet
Regular price $5.00 CAD
Regular price Sale price $5.00 CAD
Sale Sold out

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.

Any shipping overages will be refunded.

 

Shipping in Canada 

We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order. 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 purchasing. It's free to apply and you will likely be granted the permit instantly. To apply:

  1. Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
  2. Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
  3. Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit. You may list "Eligible Taxa" instead of listing all the species you'd like to import. 
  4. Once you receive your permit, email us a PDF copy, including the yellow/green coloured labels. Tell us if which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose a random one. Also let us know your order number. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
  5. We are not able to send any pepper or tomato seeds, or any bulbils due to restrictions.

After receiving your documentation, we will follow all requirements for mailing your seeds. We will ship via tracked parcel. Unfortunately we are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs.

 

Shipping Internationally

International orders are usually shipped via untracked packet. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held of confiscated by customs.

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. 

 

If you have any issues with your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will do our best to make it right.

*Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars. 

Ecologically Grown

Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

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