On a lark, I picked up a ground cherry seedling from the farmer's market last spring, and they are coming in now. When one sees all the receipes for them have about twice as much sugar as fruit, one doesn't expect much from them regarding taste, but these are VERY tasty, almost like pineapple without the acid bite. I can't wait to let them ripen further and try making a sauce for pork loin with it.

I am fairly certain I have the common variety "Aunt Molly's" (Physalis pruinosa) from the fruit characteristics. I shouldn't have a problem with it crossing with my tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa). But I know there are wild ground cherry varieties in Alabama. I haven't been able to pin down a species name for the wild plants, and I haven't seen any fruit -- but I have weeds resembling the ground cherry.

Can I save seeds from this plant, or do I need to buy some? I'm not adverse to trying both ways, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if someone has already tried it in this area.