Flower profile
Cutleaf groundcherry
Physalis angulata
Cutleaf groundcherry is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Louisiana it's most often seen in bloom in May–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Physalis angulata is an erect herbaceous annual plant belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. Its leaves are dark green and roughly ovate, often with serrate margins. The flowers are five-sided and pale yellow; the yellow-orange fruits are borne inside a balloon-like calyx. The exact native range is uncertain.
- It belongs to the Solanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 25 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 406 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #90 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
Cutleaf groundcherry gift ideas
Handmade cutleaf groundcherry gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Cutleaf groundcherry art print
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Cutleaf groundcherry greeting card
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Cutleaf groundcherry mug
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Cutleaf groundcherry earrings
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Cutleaf groundcherry embroidery pattern
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Cutleaf groundcherry sticker
When does it bloom?
In Louisiana, most flowering sightings come in May–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (SH), NV (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records cutleaf groundcherry in 25 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PHAN5.
- iNaturalist, Physalis angulata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Physalis angulata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Physalis angulata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Amber M. King via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.