Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) AKA Cape Gooseberry seeds

Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) AKA Cape Gooseberry 

Warm Season Annual in most climates, better overwintered to be a perennial/biennial

Full Sun to quite a bit of shade 

Delicious tropical fruit flavor -- NOT at all in flavor like "ground cherry"

Great in ground and in containers

Cannot take frost, but likes cool weather AKA "a challenge" for many

Does better overwintered as a perennial

Low fertility requirements

These seeds are the only in my collection that are not grown by me and my family. These seeds are from the highlands near the equator, where there is not frost, but it's mild and cool (not HOT). My experience is that goldenberries in general do better in spring and fall here in TN (if you can keep them away from frosts) than in the hot summer. The ideal growing climate that I have seen for goldenberries are frost free areas of the San Francisco Bay Area (Oakland, Palo Alto), or San Diego. 

These seeds were selected from large, super fruity and tropical tasting goldenberries where I suspect there is genetic diversity within the seeds. 

They look like and are related to the "ground cherry" that are popularly grown in temperate climates such as "Aunt Molly's" variety but far different in flavor. Those "ground cherry" varieties to me taste like mealy, cheesy tomatoes (in a bad way.) These goldenberries that we are offering taste like coconut, citrus, and pineapple -- super delicious and tropical. We LOVE them, including our 3 year old son. 

They are not however, yet adapted to a hot summer, cold winter climate. They do better in their second year if you can keep them from frosts in their first winter. You can grow them as an annual, but most likely will experience low yields. 

Aside from flavor, things to select for would be heat tolerance (I don't suspect you can find any frost tolerance), and short time to big yield (to be better as an annual.) However, they are easy to bring inside in the cold season in containers to be planted out in the ground or large raised bed in their second year (similar to BBQ berries.) 

They are very frost sensitive, so covering them frost blanket doesn't seem to help very much. However, they are also totally fine to "not be hot" unlike most warm season plants. Thus, here in TN, although in the greenhouse or basement for a couple of months out of the year, are yielding delicious fruits into January. It's what keeps our son interested in the garden in the middle of the dreary winter here -- checking to see if there are any ripe goldenberries.

The same goes for them in mild winter climates. I once harvested a ton of them in Berkeley, CA near the base of a redwood tree! Cool and shady, with very little sun that time of year. I find that to be an extraordinary trait. 

We simply cannot get enough of these, so if you live in a mild winter, mild summer climate such as the San Francisco Bay Area, or San Diego-like or even Los Angeles-like climate, these are a top choice. 

They have also been touted as a superfood and marketed as "Incan berries" -- loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants.