A common native member of the nightshade family in our area is the ground cherry. Looking like miniature tomatillos, the ground cherries are usually found in shady areas, in fertile soil under oak trees. Some of the small fruits may ripen early, through the course of summer, but most will ripen at the end of summer or early in the fall.
The foliage of the ground cherry is rather distinctive and doesn't resemble any of my garden nightshades.
The Chinese-lantern-like pods grow along the underside of the stems in rows or clusters.
As they reach maturity, the pods will turn light brown and papery. Some may drop to the ground before they are completely ripe. I try to gather these as soon as they fall, or before, and let them ripen in the kitchen. Competition from insects can be stiff.
I opened this immature pod to show the cherry. When ripe, it will turn pale yellow and have a sweet, tart flavor. I enjoy them right out of the pods, but there are recipes for pies, jams and jellies available online. When I did a search online, I found a number of sources for seeds and a few different varieties, but I plan to transplant young plants from the woods to my garden next spring. I've never found enough in the wild to try cooking with, but I think that some plant food and a little TLC in the garden could result in a decent harvest.
In the meantime, I'm keeping an eye on all the plants I've found and I hope to enjoy at least a handful of nice tart ground cherries this fall.
Stephen
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