Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

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

Also called Strawberry Ground Cherry, Downy Ground Cherry, Grey Ground Cherry, Strawberry Tomato.

More about strawberry ground cherry

About Strawberry Ground Cherry

Physalis grisea · also called Strawberry Ground Cherry, Downy Ground Cherry · edible

Strawberry Ground Cherry is a compact annual or short-lived perennial in the nightshade family, producing small yellow-to-orange fruits with a sweet, tropical-strawberry flavour inside distinctive papery husks. The entire plant has a fine grey-hairy (grisea) texture. Grow it like a tomato: full sun, warm soil, consistent moisture, with harvest when husks turn tan and papery.

Cold limit: USDA 8–11 (perennial); 3–7 (grown as annual) · RHS H2 (18–32°C)

Watch for — Poor germination in cold soil: Seeds require soil temperatures above 20°C to germinate reliably. Start indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost in a heated propagator at 21–24°C. Transplant only after soil has warmed; cold soils stall establishment.

What strawberry ground cherry's hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for strawberry 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 8–11 (perennial); 3–7 (grown as annual) — 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 strawberry 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 strawberry 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 strawberry 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 strawberry ground cherry

Strawberry 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.

Strawberry Ground Cherry hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is strawberry ground cherry cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for strawberry 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. Strawberry Ground Cherry is grown 8–11 (perennial); 3–7 (grown as annual); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature strawberry 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 strawberry ground cherry?

Strawberry Ground Cherry is rated USDA 8–11 (perennial); 3–7 (grown as annual) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can strawberry 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 strawberry 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.