Flower profile
Long-leaved groundcherry
Physalis longifolia
Long-leaved groundcherry (Physalis longifolia) is a flowering plant in the Solanaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.
Long-leaved groundcherry is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota
Quick look
Physalis longifolia, known by the common names common groundcherry, longleaf groundcherry, and wild tomatillo, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It is native to North America, where it is native to eastern Canada, much of the continental United States, and northern Mexico.
- It belongs to the Solanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 48 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 312 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #88 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 280 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #49 among the 147 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 277 research-grade sightings of it in Iowa, ranking #97 among the 147 flowers on our Iowa list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Native | few records (34) | 312 |
| Nebraska | Native | few records (11) | 280 |
| Iowa | Native | few records (13) | 277 |
| South Dakota | Native | few records (31) | 154 |
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
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- Iowa
- Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
- South Dakota
- No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: VT (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 long-leaved groundcherry in 48 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.
Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.
Nebraska counties with USDA records: Banner, Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Burt, Butler, Cass, Chase, Cheyenne, Colfax, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dixon, Dodge, Gage, Garden, Greeley, Hall, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Jefferson, Johnson, Kearney, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Merrick, Morrill, Nance, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Phelps, Platte, Red Willow, Richardson, Saline, Saunders, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thayer, Valley, Webster, York.
Iowa counties with USDA records: Adair, Carroll, Cherokee, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Ida, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O'Brien, Page, Plymouth, Pottawattamie.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1059 counties across 44 states; the most are in Kansas (105), Illinois (92), Missouri (81).
Other Physalis on Bloomipedia (2): Thickleaf groundcherry, Cutleaf groundcherry.
More from the Solanaceae family (15 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Carolina horsenettle, Bittersweet nightshade, Silverleaf nightshade, Sacred datura, Tree tobacco, Jimsonweed, Buffalo-bur, Eastern black nightshade.
More Kansas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PHLO4.
- iNaturalist, Physalis longifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Physalis longifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
- Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
- South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Physalis longifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Mallory F via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.