Chinese Lantern - Physalis alkekengi (20 seeds)

Chinese Lantern

Physalis alkekengi

Chinese Lantern is a hardy perennial grown for its spectacular vivid orange, papery lantern-shaped calyces that enclose a small berry and glow like paper decorations along stiff, upright stems in autumn. Native to southern Europe and Asia, it produces small white flowers in early summer before the real show begins — the inflated orange lanterns that develop through late summer and autumn, drying beautifully on the stem or cut for arrangements, wreaths, and dried floral displays. A bold and memorable plant that stops people in their tracks every autumn.

Chinese Lantern spreads aggressively via underground rhizomes as well as by seed and can take over garden beds quickly. Growing in a container is strongly recommended to prevent rhizomes escaping into the garden. Lanterns can be harvested at peak colour and hung upside down in a cool, airy position to dry, retaining their vivid colour for months.

Note: all parts of the plant except the fully ripe berry are toxic and should not be consumed.

Planting Season: Spring
Sow: Indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost; surface sow, do not cover — seeds require light to germinate
Spacing: 45–60 cm apart
Height: 60–90 cm; upright and spreading aggressively via rhizomes
Germination: 14–28 days at 21–25°C; keep surface moist
Flowering: Early summer; orange lanterns develop February to April
Note: All parts except the fully ripe berry are toxic; handle with care

20 seeds