Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Physalis alkekengi. |
Common name |
Caged love, Physalis, Alkékenge, Japanese lantern. |
Family |
Solanaceae. |
Origin |
Eastern Europe, Asia. |
Dimensions |
Up to 60 cm in height. |
Foliage |
The foliage is deciduous. The leaves measure 10 cm, are diamond-shaped and end in fine points. |
Bloom |
The flowers appear as early as May. Star-shaped, they are white to cream-white with a yellow center. |
Fruiting |
The caged flowers of love give way to orange-red calyxes that contain an orange berry the size of a small cherry tomato. It is poisonous when unripe, but edible when ripe. |
Exposure |
Sun, partial shade. |
Ground |
Neutral to limestone, normal to dry, rich, drained. |
Rusticity |
Up to -15°C. |
Caged love takes its poetic name from its particular fruits, enclosed in a chalice which, as it matures, reveals a red-orange fruit.
Its other nickname, the Japanese lantern, evokes these famous lantern-shaped chalices, which are first bright red before becoming transparent.
How to cage love?
Caged love is naturally present in Europe, where it can be found near fields and vineyards.
Quite hardy, it is an easy plant to grow.
The Japanese lantern can flourish
in any soil,
provided it is well drained.
It has a preference for rich soils, so an addition of compost during planting will be welcome.
Choose a sunny position or partial shade to see your Physalis flourish.
Copyright (c) 2016 Mariola Anna S/Shutterstock.
No use without permission.
How to make a love cutting in a cage?
Caged love is propagated rather
by division or by sowing
(the seeds can be sown in March or April) but it can also be taken from cuttings.
Simply take a stem about 5 cm long from the plant, then remove the buds and leaves at its base before dipping it in a rooting hormone.
You must then
place the cutting in a warm environment
, between 20 and 25°C.
Physalis is best propagated by division or sowing.
Copyright (c) 2014 Harry Huber/Shutterstock.
No use without permission.
Cultivating and maintaining caged love
Caged love is a plant
easy to maintain, requires little care and is disease-free.
Watering:
Physalis alkekengi
requires little watering and is quite resistant to drought.
Water only during periods of drought!
Pruning:
Caged love does not require pruning, but it can be quite invasive if its clumps are not divided.
The stems of the plant can be cut at the end of summer to make pretty bouquets.
Diseases and parasites:
caged love knows no diseases.
However, it can be attacked by caterpillars.
Caged love is an ornamental plant, whose acidic fruits can be eaten as jam.
Copyright (c) 2017 356chan/Shutterstock.
No use without permission.
Are the fruits of caged love edible?
Caged love is an ornamental plant, mainly grown to decorate the garden or make bouquets.
But its fruits have other interesting properties!
Caged love fruits are considered
poisonous when unripe
, but are edible once ripe.
They have a fairly acidic flavor, which makes them unappealing when eaten raw.
It is better to use them for making jams!
What is the difference between caged love and the Peruvian Coqueret?
We often confuse cage love with its cousin the Peruvian Coqueret (
Physalis peruviana
), which produces more orange fruits, but above all sweeter.
These are the latter that are often found as decoration in restaurant desserts.
What are the benefits of Physalis?
Physalis alkekengi
fruits
are rich in vitamins A, B and C. They therefore have a high concentration of antioxidants.