Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called ground cherry, strawberry groundcherry, husk cherry.

More about ground cherry

About Ground Cherry

Physalis pruinosa · also called ground cherry, strawberry groundcherry · edible

Ground cherry is a low, spreading annual nightshade prized for small, husk-wrapped fruits that taste of pineapple and vanilla when ripe. More compact and faster-fruiting than its cape gooseberry cousin, it suits beds, large containers, and short-season gardens, ripening fruit that drops to the ground when ready to harvest.

Cold limit: USDA Grown as a warm-season annual in zones 2-11 (frost-tender) · RHS H2 (16-30°C)

Watch for — Flower and fruit drop: Triggered by drought stress or temperature extremes during bloom. Keep moisture even and mulch the root zone.

What ground cherry's hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for ground cherry: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA Grown as a warm-season annual in zones 2-11 (frost-tender) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for ground cherry as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can ground cherry go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when ground cherry can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline ground cherry

Ground Cherry is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Ground Cherry hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is ground cherry cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for ground cherry: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Ground Cherry is grown Grown as a warm-season annual in zones 2-11 (frost-tender); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature ground cherry can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is ground cherry?

Ground Cherry is rated USDA Grown as a warm-season annual in zones 2-11 (frost-tender) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can ground cherry survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect ground cherry from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.