Species › Plants › Clammy Ground Cherry

Clammy Ground Cherry

Physalis heterophylla

CommonPlant
Illustration of Clammy Ground Cherry (Physalis heterophylla)
Safety note: Unripe fruit and leaves are toxic; only fully ripe fruit inside the husk is edible.

Clammy Ground Cherry is a native wildflower of dry woodlands and prairies with distinctive papery husks enclosing a tomato-like fruit. The ripe berries were an important food source for many indigenous peoples. The flowers are buzz-pollinated by native bees and are an indicator of dry, open habitats across the eastern United States.

Habitat
Dry woodlands, open fields, and prairie margins in eastern North America
Diet
Fruits eaten by foxes, raccoons, and many songbirds; buzz-pollinated by native bees
How common
Common

Best time to see a Clammy Ground Cherry

The best time to see a Clammy Ground Cherry is May–July, when about 66% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 4,344 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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