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FruitsTenderPerennial (short-lived)
Cape Gooseberry
Cape gooseberry is a tender physalis grown for small golden fruits enclosed in papery husks, with a sweet-sharp tropical flavour. It brings both ornamental and culinary interest, cropping over a long season when given warmth and time.
Basic information
Category
Fruits
Lifecycle
Perennial (short-lived)
Hardiness
Tender
Planting partners
2 companions · 1 crop to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
110 days
Germination window
10–20 days
Germination temperature
20–25 °C
Plant spacing
75 cm
Row spacing
90 cm
Sowing depth
0.5 cm
Height
90 cm
Spread
75 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Start plants early so they have a long enough season to flower and ripen worthwhile harvests, especially outdoors in cooler areas. Give warmth and shelter, avoid overcrowding, and pick fruits once husks turn dry and papery and the berries inside colour fully.
Common pests
Aphids, whitefly, slugs, botrytis in damp weather.
