[londongardener]

I bought these thinking that they are edible but now I am not too sure they are the red and yellow type.  Can I eat them ?

[Oscar Too]

Physalis.  You can eat the berry inside the "lantern".

[Sally A]

Mine bought from T&M as flower seeds warn against eating the fruits.

There is an edible "gooseberry" in the physalis family, but I wouldn't chance it unless I knew the exact variety.

[londongardener]

Thanks for that.
I think I have this type

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_alkekengi

Apparently
you can eat it
http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=239&p_type=all&p_sci=sci&p_x=px
Oscar,

Have you got the same type ?  Are the fruits nice ?

[Sally A]

That link says can cause gastro enteritis!

Physalis Alkekengi seed packet says Toxic if Eaten.

[londongardener]

It also says :-
"The mature fruits are apparently edible (Lampe and McCann 1985)."

[Sally A]

has anyone heard from Lampe & mcCann since 1985?

[theothermarg]

the ornamental one is supposed to be easy too grow but whatever i do it will not take in my garden  :cry:  i tried the edible one a few years ago and it went potty unfortunately iy didnt ripen very well and was quite a boring looking plant. the few fruits that did ripen were all right but not worth the ground it took up. that was a few years ago with this promised globle warming who knows
marg

[freyaluck]

I grew one last year and It did really well, although the fruits didn't ripen until mid sept, unfortunately the slufs got my plants this year :x

[Oscar Too]

No, I don't grow it - I used to sell it when I worked in organic veg.

I don't know what variety it was, but it was tasty.

[jaycee]

I also used to have a plant of this. Don`t know if it was edible of not as I never got any fruit. It was very healthy if boring and  after ten years of it taking over a large area of ground I managed to dig it all out...