How big does Chinese lantern grow?

About 60 cm × 60 cm after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 30–75 cm × 30–60 cm.

What soil does Chinese lantern grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, sandy, calcareous.

Is Chinese lantern hardy?

Hardy down to -29 °C (USDA zone 4, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

When does Chinese lantern flower?

Flowering: June–August, white.

How much water does Chinese lantern need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

What should I plant instead of Chinese lantern?

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. For a similar purpose we recommend: Alpine aster, Black-eyed Susan, Bushy aster, Chives.

Chinese lantern

Physalis alkekengi

Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi) is a perennial that reaches 60 cm × 60 cm after ten years. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -29 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Toxic to children. Sold in local shops from about €5. We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens.

Illustration of Chinese lantern — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

Chinese lantern is grown not for its small white flowers but for the papery orange-red lanterns that follow in autumn and keep for months when dried. It is undemanding in sun or part shade, but it runs very fast underground, so plant it only where you can box it in, or keep it in a large pot. The green parts and unripe berries are poisonous.

We do not recommend this plant

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. Further down we show what to plant instead.

Watch out for

It spreads very aggressively by running rhizomes: within a few years it can thread through a whole bed, shoots come up well away from the original plant, and it also self-seeds. For that reason it is not recommended for mixed borders. Grow it in a bottomless container sunk into the ground or behind a deep root barrier, or in a separate strip bounded by paving or a wall, and pull out escaping shoots regularly. It regrows from pieces of rhizome left in the soil, so it is hard to get rid of. As a nightshade relative it can also pick up the pests and diseases of tomatoes.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: Medium
Care: High
Size after 10 years: 60 cm × 60 cm
Hardiness: down to -29 °C
Foliage: Deciduous
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D June–August, white

Group	Perennial
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	60 cm × 60 cm
Ultimate size	30–75 cm × 30–60 cm
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	June–August, white
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	High
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no data
Spreading	High
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	45 cm
For dogs	Toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Toxic (uncertain)
For children	Toxic
Typical price	from about €5

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

What to plant instead

Recommended plants that do the same job, with similar characteristics.

Alpine aster

Aster alpinus 30 cm × 40 cm after 10 years

A low, cushion-forming perennial that carries large yellow-centred daisies in violet, blue, pink or white in late spring and early summer, which makes…

Perennial

Full sun

from about €4.70

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia fulgida 80 cm × 60 cm after 10 years

A dependable, long-flowering perennial with golden yellow, dark-centred daisies from midsummer into autumn, popular with bees and butterflies. It does…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about €4.30

Bushy aster

Aster dumosus 40 cm × 50 cm after 10 years

A low, dense, cushion-forming perennial that is smothered in purple, pink, blue or white yellow-centred daisies from late summer to mid-autumn, when…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about €4.70

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum 45 cm × 45 cm after 10 years

A kitchen garden perennial that forms dense, grassy clumps: you can cut its hollow, onion-flavoured leaves from spring to autumn, and the purple globe…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about €3.90

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
size not stated	approx. €5

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 13, 2026 · How our data is made

Looks good next to it

Common yew

Taxus baccata

Persian ivy

Hedera colchica

Irish moss

Sagina subulata