Aug 5, 2022
Physalis crassifolia, the thick-leaved groundcherry (crass = thick, folia = relates to the leaves) is a neat member of the nightshade family which grows in dry areas throughout the American southwest. Despite being members of Solanaceae, the fruits of Physalis are generally considered edible, and this species is no exception. Its fruit is described as “edible and sweet with pineapple and strawberry flavors” though not being fond of tomatoes, I have been reluctant to try. Each fruit grows wrapped in the papery flower calyx. This plant thrives in desert environments, with this plant seen flowering in a dry year in the Mojave Desert in California.
