Physalis alkekengi

A plant of fleeting beauty and soft drama, Physalis alkekengi holds its fruit in delicate, papery lanterns – a botanical curiosity that shifts from green to a glowing, ember-orange as the season turns. Inside each skeletal husk, a single scarlet berry rests, like a secret kept quiet through autumn.

Best enjoyed as a seasonal accent – dried in bunches, scattered across a mantle, or styled in a sculptural vase – it brings warmth and natural theatre to any space. Whether planted in the garden or kept in a pot, it thrives with little effort, preferring sun-drenched corners and well-drained soil.

A plant that ages beautifully. One that lingers in memory long after its lanterns fade.