Native Plants

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.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Kline, Kimberly

Physalis pubescens

Physalis pubescens L.

Husk Tomato, Downy Ground-cherry, Downy Groundcherry

Solanaceae (Potato Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: PHPU7

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N), VI (N), CAN (I)

From the Image Gallery

4 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Brown
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Bloom Notes: Yellow, with 5 greenish-brown spots at the base of the petals.

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV
Canada: NB

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	UPL		FACU	FAC	FACU	FACU		UPL	UPL	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

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

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-23
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back