Sharpleaf Ground Cherry

Physalis acutifolia

Found in disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

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At a glance

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Light · Soil · Life cycle · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 1 Alabama county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

13CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Physalis

Chloridea subflexaSubflexus Straw, Groundcherry Sun Moth
Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
Diaphania nitidalisPickleworm Moth
Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
Lineodes fontellaEastern Lineodes
Lineodes integraEggplant Leafroller
Manduca quinquemaculatusFive-Spotted Hawkmoth, Tomato Hornworm
Manduca sextaCarolina Sphinx, Tomatoe Sphinx, Tobacco Hornworm

Show all 13

Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

3Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Physalis

Colletes latitarsis
Colletes willistoni
Perdita halictoides

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

5BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Physalis

Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Solanaceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Conservation status

Alabama rank	Not available
Global rank	Not available
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source

Native alternatives

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