Popular for the papery bright-orange lantern pods that develop around the ripening fruit,( not edible ) these are often cut and used for arrangements. Plants are aggressive spreaders, and best kept out of the perennial border so they don't take over. Also can be grown in pots. Small white flowers appear in midsummer, over a bushy mound of coarse green leaves. Pods are green at first, but should be harvested as soon as the orange colour develops, the leaves stripped then stems hung upside down to dry in a warm dark room. Chinese Lanterns resemble a close likeness to a Tomatillo plant, they are from the same family, but Chinese Lanterns are Ornamental
Chinese Lantern Physalis Alkekengi
Physalis alkekengi is a relative of P. peruviana. It is easily identifiable by the large, bright orange to red papery covering over its fruit, which resembles paper lanterns. It grows naturally in the regions covering Southern Europe to South Asia and Northeast Asia