I know it as Cape gooseberry, a plant native to South America, hence the Peruviana, and was introduced to South Africa and widely grown in the Cape of Good Hope region. My plant came from Daylesford about thirty years ago when a friend of a friend sent me back to my garden with a young plant. I was captivated by the marble sized yellow berry encased in a crisp lantern. I love the slightly tart berry. Given enough water, manure and sunshine, the Cape gooseberry will do well and the berries will self sow. It can be scraggly if left untended so I would prune it back in autumn. The berries I pick throughout the summer months. When I can accumulate enough I would add them to apples to make a delicious jelly. I will be collecting the seedlings I am finding around the two bushes I have in the garden and they will be potted. Once the bush gets too old and scraggly I will pull it out. The plant will fill up a bare space very quickly and so long as you keep it pruned you will have an attractive bush to grace your garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment