Rainline Garden
When to plant ground cherries in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Start ground cherries from seed indoors Mar 27 – Apr 10, then plant the young plants in the garden May 15 – Jun 12. In Bend: Jun 9 – Jul 7. Find your city below.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 2 to 3 feet apart
- Planting depth
- Bury the stem up to the first leaves, like tomatoes
- Frost
- Killed by frost
- First harvest
- About 70 days after planting
Sweet, pineapple-tomato flavored fruit in papery husks. Unlike tomatillos, one plant sets fruit on its own, and it ripens fine in cool Northwest summers.
Ground cherries planting dates
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Eugene, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 9 – Jul 7 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
Find your town
Portland area, OR 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Gresham, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Oregon City and West Linn, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| St. Helens and Scappoose, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
Willamette Valley, OR 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Corvallis and Albany, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Eugene, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Salem, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
Southern Oregon, OR 4 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Grants Pass, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Medford, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Roseburg, OR | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
Oregon Coast, OR 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Astoria, OR | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Brookings and Gold Beach, OR | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Coos Bay and North Bend, OR | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Newport and Lincoln City, OR | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Tillamook, OR | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
Central Oregon and the high desert, OR 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 9 – Jul 7 |
| Burns, OR | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 11 – Jul 9 |
| Klamath Falls, OR | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 9 – Jul 7 |
| Lakeview, OR | Apr 16–30 | Jun 4 – Jul 2 |
| Madras, OR | Apr 6–20 | May 25 – Jun 22 |
| Prineville, OR | Apr 13–27 | Jun 1–29 |
Columbia Gorge and eastern Oregon, OR 9 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Baker City, OR | Apr 6–20 | May 25 – Jun 22 |
| Enterprise and Joseph, OR | Apr 6–20 | May 25 – Jun 22 |
| Hermiston, OR | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Hood River, OR | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| John Day, OR | Apr 9–23 | May 28 – Jun 25 |
| La Grande, OR | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Ontario, OR | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Pendleton, OR | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| The Dalles, OR | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
Seattle and Puget Sound, WA 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Everett, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Olympia, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
North Sound and the islands, WA 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Anacortes, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Bellingham, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
Olympic Peninsula and coast, WA 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Forks, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Port Angeles, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Port Townsend, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
Southwest Washington, WA 3 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Longview and Kelso, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
| Vancouver, WA | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – Jun 12 |
Wenatchee and the Okanogan, WA 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Chelan, WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Leavenworth, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Wenatchee, WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin, WA 8 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Goldendale, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Moses Lake, WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Walla Walla, WA | Mar 13–27 | May 1–29 |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 8 – Jun 5 |
Spokane and eastern Washington, WA 3 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Colville, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Pullman, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1–15 | May 20 – Jun 17 |
How to grow ground cherries
- Start seeds indoors on your city's dates in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
- Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
- Plant them in the garden on your city's dates, 2 to 3 feet apart. Bury the stem up to the first leaves, like tomatoes.
- Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
- Harvest: Gather the fruit after it drops to the ground in its husk, when the husk is dry and tan and the fruit inside is golden. Rake or shake the plants every few days.
Popular ground cherries varieties
Widely sold picks that do well somewhere in Oregon or Washington. The tag says which side of the mountains suits each one best.
Aunt Molly's
The classic ground cherry, with sweet, citrusy golden fruit. Compact, sprawling plants produce heavily from midsummer until frost.
Both sides
Goldie
Small, golden fruits with a sweet, tropical flavor. Productive and easy, it is a good one for kids to pick off the ground.
Both sides
Cossack Pineapple
An early heirloom with a pronounced pineapple flavor. Its quick ripening makes it a good pick for the coast and short-season gardens.
Short seasons
Key numbers
- 70–85°FSoil to sprout
- 65–75Days to harvest
- 1–2 feet, sprawlingPlant height
- Flea beetlesBiggest risk
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
What ground cherries are
Ground cherries are small relatives of tomatillos and tomatoes. Each marble-sized golden fruit grows in a papery husk and tastes like a mix of pineapple and tomato. Unlike tomatillos, a single plant pollinates itself, so one or two plants are enough.
They ripen earlier and more reliably than most tomatoes, which makes them a good bet for cool west-side and coastal summers.
Growing and picking
Start seeds indoors about seven weeks before planting out, and plant them in warm soil after the last frost, buried a little deeper than they grew in the pot. They're low, sprawling plants, so give them room and skip the cage. Average soil is fine; too much nitrogen gives leaves instead of fruit.
The fruit drops to the ground when it's ready. Collect it every few days. Fruit in dry husks keeps for several weeks at room temperature.
Volunteers next year
Fruit you miss drops seed, and seedlings will pop up in that bed next year. Pull the extras or move a few to where you want them. Like tomatoes, don't grow them where tomatoes, peppers, eggplants or potatoes grew last year.
Common questions about growing ground cherries
Are ground cherries the same as tomatillos?
They're close relatives, but ground cherries are smaller, sweeter and self-pollinating. Tomatillos are tart and need two plants to set fruit.
Are green ground cherries safe to eat?
No. Eat only fully golden fruit. Unripe fruit, leaves and husks contain compounds that can upset your stomach.
How do I know they're ripe?
They fall off the plant. The husk turns dry and tan, and the fruit inside is golden yellow.
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplant
Sweet corn
Tomatillos