Home › Ground Cherry › Grow in Wisconsin

Can You Grow Ground Cherry in Wisconsin?

US · USDA Zone 5a · zones 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b

Grows well here

Ground cherries grow easily in your zone — a surprisingly productive and self-sufficient crop.

Plant zones

3a–9b

Wisconsin last frost

mid-April

Wisconsin first frost

mid-October

Days to harvest

70–85 days

When to plant Ground Cherries in Wisconsin

Start indoors

Mar 3

Transplant

Apr 15

Harvest

Jun 24 – Jul 9

Dates are approximate, based on Wisconsin's average frost dates. Your exact yard may vary by microclimate.

About Ground Cherry

Ground cherries (husk cherries) are a hidden gem of the vegetable garden — sweet vanilla-pineapple flavored fruits inside papery husks that drop naturally when ripe. Excellent for jam, baking, and eating fresh.

Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Plants self-mulch with dropped husks — fruits inside stay fresh on the ground for weeks. Harvest husked fruits daily. Productive and drought-tolerant once established. Self-seeds freely the following year.

Full ground cherry growing guide →

Gardening in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has a cold humid continental climate. Milwaukee is Zone 5b-6a; northern Wisconsin is Zone 4a-5a. Cold winters but warm productive summers. Known for dairy farming and cold-hardy crops.