Nicandra physalodes - Apple of Peru

The Nicandra physalodes, (sometimes misspelled physaloides) is commonly known as False Cape Gooseberry or Peruvian Ground Cherry for its proximity to the physalis. It is a non-hardy perennial plant grown as an annual with rapid growth in our climates. In summer, it produces ephemeral, campanulate blue flowers with white hearts, followed by lantern-shaped fruits in capsules. Invasive and toxic, with foliage that emits an unpleasant odour, its strengths lie in its ornamental qualities and its ability to repel whiteflies, cabbage flies, and carrot flies in the vegetable garden or greenhouse. This plant is easily grown in open ground or in a pot, and its flowers also beautifully adorn flowerbeds.

The Nicandra physalodes is a non-hardy perennial plant of the Solanaceae family, originating from South America, specifically Peru. It has more or less naturalized in many regions, where it is considered invasive. Its rapid growth allows it to be grown as an annual in our climates. This plant has an upright, bushy, and ramified habit, reaching up to 1 m in all directions, with angular, hollow stems. Its alternate, mid-green leaves are glabrous and deciduous, ovate and pointed, petiolate, with irregularly dentate margins and a slightly puckered texture. The undersides of the leaves are veined. The flowers, short-lived, appear from June to October depending on the climate. They are campanulate, hermaphroditic, and nectariferous, closing at the end of the day. The subsequent fruits are enclosed in large bracts, forming swollen lantern-shaped capsules, reminiscent of the physalis.

The Nicandra physalodes, also known as False Cape Gooseberry, Blue Poc-poc, Big Poc-poc, or Blue Flower Poc-poc, can be planted at the back of a sunny flowerbed for its beautiful summer flowering. It is valued for its repellent qualities in the vegetable garden and greenhouse, where it grows rapidly. It is however essential to control its invasive tendencies. Not demanding in terms of growing conditions, in well-drained ordinary soil that remains fresh, it also thrives in a pot and enjoys summer warmth. It can be sown under cover or directly in open ground.