Share

Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    

Quincula lobata (Purple groundcherry)
Flaigg, Norman G.

Quincula lobata (Torr.) Raf.

Purple groundcherry, Chinese lantern

Solanaceae (Potato Family)

USDA Symbol: QULO2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Purple groundcherry grows almost flat on the ground. Leaves are alternate, 1 1/2–3 inches long and not quite as broad, often coarsely toothed or deeply cut, with rounded lobes. The flower is bluish-purple, with 5 united petals that open out to form a flat surface 3/4–1 1/4 inches across. It has 5 stamens with yellow anthers. This flower seems not to be much affected by drought.

It is an attractive, low-growing, full sun or light shade groundcover for much of the Southwest, with purple, blue, or white flowers and fuzzy, gray-green leaves. It blooms until frost, when the top dies, but the roots continue to expand throughout the winter, sending up new growth in the spring for a larger colony each year. The berry is edible, but caution is advised, for the flower resembles some of those of Solanum, a genus with both edible and deadly berries. Purple Groundcherry was formerly placed in the genus Physalis, but the purple flower and the flat, scale-like hairs on the leaves are considered distinctive.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Size Notes: No more than 6 inches tall
Leaf: Gray-green
Flower: Flower 1 inch
Fruit: 4-7 mm
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Blue , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct
Bloom Notes: Blooms until frost.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , KS , NM , NV , OK , TX , UT
Native Distribution: Southeastern California east across southern Nevada to southeastern Utah, eastern Colorado, and western Kansas, and south to western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico.
Native Habitat: Woodland edges, forest openings, fields
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Well-drained sand, sandy loam, loam, clay, caliche
Conditions Comments: Prefers full sun or light shade, like under a mesquite tree.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Low-growing, decorative, deciduous ground cover for the Southwest
Use Food: Berries edible, but be sure youve got the right plant, as similar-looking species in the genera Physalis and Solanum can be toxic.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1009 Collected 2011-04-06 in Starr County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Quincula lobata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Quincula lobata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Quincula lobata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-03-15
Research By: TWC Staff, GDG

Go back