Description

Heart Shaped Chinese Lantern Flower

The heart shaped Chinese lantern flower (aka Physalis alkekengi , Japanese-lantern, bladder cherry, strawberry groundcherry, and winter cherry) is characterized by its bright orange covering and so named because it most closely resembles a Chinese or Japanese lantern. It is an herbaceous perennial native in southern Europe, southern Asia and Japan.

As a result of its bright color and beautiful shape in both the fresh state and its intriguing infrastructure in the dried state it is a popular ornamental plant. It has a wide spreading root system and therefore invasive.

With some perspective the Chinese Lantern flower is also heart shaped. The dried flower reveals a delicate capillary-like infrastructure and therefore even more fitting for Valentine’s day. The flower enfolds and defends a barely appreciated, delicate fruit buried within its husk. The need to protect the fruit of its loins manifests motherly or fatherly love.