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Perennial ground cherry (Physalis longifolia)

In NSW, perennial ground cherry occurs in several regions and can grow in cultivated land, pastures and roadsides. It competes with other plants, contaminates crops and reduces yields, and its leaves and green fruit are toxic to cattle.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: North America.

Established in: QLD, NSW.

Best time to act: Look for flowers mainly in summer, and treat actively growing plants before flowering.

Identification

  • This rhizomatous herb grows up to 50 cm tall.
  • Its oval leaves have wedge-shaped bases and pointed tips, and are up to 6 cm long and usually smooth or slightly lobed at the edges.
  • The greenish-yellow, tubular to bell-shaped flowers have five triangular lobes and dark spots in the centre; they are 10–12 mm long and appear mainly in summer.
  • The berries sit inside papery, pale-green, 10-sided cases that are 1.5–2.5 cm long; ripe berries are pale or yellow-green and about 1 cm across.
  • Look-alike: Prairie ground cherry (Physalis hederifolia) lacks dark blotches in the flower centre, grows up to 30 cm tall and usually has toothed leaf edges.

Where it grows

In NSW it has been found in the Riverina, Central Tablelands, Central West and North West, growing in cultivated land, pastures and roadsides, and in most areas away from the coastal strip.

Why it matters

  • It outcompetes other plants.
  • It contaminates crops and reduces yields.
  • Its leaves and green fruit contain solanine glycoalkaloids known to be toxic to cattle, although livestock rarely eat the plant.

How it spreads

  • In its native range, plants produce an average of 435 seeds per year, with more than 3,977 seeds recorded from one large plant in a year.
  • Animals spread seeds in their droppings, fruit can float and move with water, and seeds may be carried in contaminated fodder.
  • New plants can grow from rhizome pieces spread by cultivation or in mud stuck to machinery or vehicles.

Control options

  • Small seedlings can be dug up or pulled out; do not leave rhizomes on the ground because they can sprout.
  • Dispose of fruit appropriately and contact your local council for disposal advice.
  • Spray actively growing plants before flowering and cover all foliage.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Avoid driving or taking machinery through areas with fruiting plants; if this cannot be avoided, clean vehicles and machinery before entering a non-infested area.
  • Request a fodder vendor declaration to help limit the import of contaminated hay or fodder.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Regional priority in 1 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in Riverina. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources