Inca Berry

[Lacey]

I received an Inca Berry plant at a farmer's market and it has gone crazy. I moved it indoors for the winter and it is still going strong. I have read that the plant is poisonous is this true? How long does it take to start getting fruit from it and are there any special instructions in caring for one?

 

[Becky]

I know Inca Berries as Physalis, and they are yummy! I didn't know anything about the plant itself being poisonous, but they are part of the nightshade family so perhaps that's where the concern comes from.

Do you have any photos of your plant?

 

[gata montes]

I agree with Becky Inca Berries or Cape Gooseberries are extremely yummy and yes as they are part of the nightshade family the whole of the plant is poisonous - and the fruit is only poisonous when it is not ripe.
In case you have no photos - here is one to be going on with

 

[DeaneRenata]

I received an Inca Berry plant at a farmer's market and it has gone crazy. I moved it indoors for the winter and it is still going strong. I have read that the plant is poisonous is this true? How long does it take to start getting fruit from it and are there any special instructions in caring for one?

I've never heard of the Inca Berry, are you sure it even exists?

 

[warmweatherwoman]

Inca Berry plants absolutely exist and the plant as a whole is very poisonous and so are the berries IF not ripe. I love berry plants!! I hope you enjoy yours as much as I love mine!

 

[Pat]

I have never heard of incaberry plants. Did some research on the plant it has good health benefits, studies found these Incaberries to have an antioxidant capacity higher than Gojiberries and other major dried fruits. Dried Incaberries are very high in fibre with 19g fibre per 100g or 8g in a ¼ cup (45g). This is more fibre than 1 cup of a high fibre breakfast cereal or a salad sandwich on wholegrain bread.

The berries can be included in baking like raisins.

 

[zigs]

There is an ornamental one that has poisonous berries, check the variety before eating. The edible ones are on sale in supermarkets over here.

 

[thomas pendrake]

I have been unable to find references that deal with the toxicity of the plant. I know that even the black nightshade can be deadly when not ripe but is widely eaten when ripe. It is at least a good idea to not consume them when not ripe. It is part of nature's grand design to ensure that ripe seeds are spread.

 

[zigs]

I have been unable to find references that deal with the toxicity of the plant. I know that even the black nightshade can be deadly when not ripe but is widely eaten when ripe. It is at least a good idea to not consume them when not ripe. It is part of nature's grand design to ensure that ripe seeds are spread.

As far as I knew only this variety is edible, Solanum nigrum guineese.

 

[headfullofbees]

There is an ornamental one that has poisonous berries, check the variety before eating. The edible ones are on sale in supermarkets over here.

Chinese Lanterns.

I grew some physalis edulis one year, and the fruit are not to my taste, and the plants are quite invasive.

 

[zigs]

Very pretty though, i'm not sure if I like them either, kinda taste like you shouldn't be eating them.

 

[headfullofbees]

Very pretty though, i'm not sure if I like them either, kinda taste like you shouldn't be eating them.

Couldn't have put that better.

If I hadn't grown them myself, I'd have wondered if they were poisonous.

 

[gata montes]

As many have already mentioned including myself in a previous post - the whole of the Inca Berry, Cape Goosebrry or Giant Groundberry Plant whichever name you know it by - is poisonous - apart from the fruit which is only poisonous when not fully ripe and as Zigs has already mentioned there are many varieties of this plant that bear fruit - but only one them bears edible fruit - which is called Physalis Peruviana or Edulis - which is the name you should be looking for to confirm that you have the edible variety or the name that you should use - if searching for the toxicity reports relating to this plant.

On the subject of Black Nightshade - I would agree with Zigs that there is only one variety that has edible berries - but would warn anyone who isn't familiar with Black Nightshades or doesn't know how to identify these plants correctly - to be very careful - as there are very many varieties of Solanum Nigrum that look identical to each other and unless you know how to identify Solanum Nigrum Guineese from the rest of them - it might be the one and only time that you try it.