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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.

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Physalis hederifolia

Physalis hederifolia A. Gray

Ivyleaf Groundcherry, Ivy-leaf Groundcherry

Solanaceae (Potato Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: PHHE4

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Flattish, rather pentagonal, pale yellow flowers, usually with 5 deeper yellow or purple-brown patches near center, protruding from lightly hairy foliage.

As the fruit matures the calyx enlarges, becoming inflated and papery. This also occurs in Tomatillo (P. philadelphica), a species with a fruit to almost 3" (7.5 cm) wide, popular in Mexican and southwestern cuisine and a tangy addition to salads. Prior to preparation, the husk (calyx) is removed from the green, tomato-like fruit (tomatillo means "little tomato"). There are more than a dozen species of groundcherry in the West, all recognizable by the inflated calyx. Some have branched hairs on the leaves; others have longer flower stalks than P. hederifolia or flowers that are more bell-shaped.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green , Brown
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , KS , LA , MT , NE , NM , NV , NY , OK , RI , SD , TX , UT , VT , WY
Native Distribution: Southeastern California east across southern Nevada, Utah, and Arizona to western Texas, and north through Plains states to eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota, and perhaps southeastern Montana.
Native Habitat: Dry sandy, gravelly, or rocky areas on plains, in brush, and in open woodlands.

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-06-07
Research By: TWC Staff

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