Flower profile
Thickleaf groundcherry
Physalis crassifolia
Thickleaf groundcherry is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Physalis crassifolia is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by the common names yellow nightshade groundcherry and thick-leaf ground-cherry. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in rocky, dry desert and mountain habitat.
- It belongs to the Solanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 519 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #80 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
Thickleaf groundcherry gift ideas
Handmade thickleaf 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.
-
Placeholder
Thickleaf groundcherry art print
-
Placeholder
Thickleaf groundcherry greeting card
-
Placeholder
Thickleaf groundcherry mug
-
Placeholder
Thickleaf groundcherry earrings
-
Placeholder
Thickleaf groundcherry embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Thickleaf groundcherry sticker
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in January–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
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (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 thickleaf groundcherry in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Lincoln, Nye.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PHCR4.
- iNaturalist, Physalis crassifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Physalis crassifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Physalis crassifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Dawn Nelson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.