How To Propagate Chinese Lantern Plant

The Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi) is one plant you definitely want in your garden. This hardy perennial is also known as the winter cherry or the bladder cherry and grows in hardiness zones 3 to 9. In the summer, it produces bright orange calyces in the shape of lanterns. But the magnum opus of this plant is in late fall, when the flowers turn into papery skeletons, showcasing the bright red berries inside. The best part is that you can propagate the Chinese lantern in two easy ways: from cuttings and rhizomes. 

In a nutshell, propagation is when you create new plants from existing ones. The cuttings method involves taking healthy stems from a mature lantern tree and rooting them in a small pot with moist soil. If you're propagating from rhizomes, simply dig up a part of a plant's spreading root and replant it separately.

Caring for Chinese lanterns is pretty straightforward, considering their low to medium maintenance levels. Just make sure to water whenever the soil feels dry. In spring, mulch the soil around the plant with compost. As for exposure, you can keep your lantern tree in full to partial sun. However, you may want to think twice before planting Chinese lanterns in your garden, as they're invasive. Therefore, you'll want to keep them in a large pot to prevent the roots from spreading. For a more natural garden aesthetic, you can hide the pot by burying it in the soil. Chinese lanterns are also toxic, so make sure to keep them away from pets and children.

If you're going to propagate Chinese lantern from cuttings, this can be done in late summer. Start by gathering a few cuttings from an established tree that are least 4 inches long, with a few nodes on each cutting. Get rid of the lower leaves and keep at least one on the top. Next, snip the bottom of the cutting just below the first node at a 45-degree angle. Once the cuttings are ready, get a small pot with well-draining soil and a mixture of perlite, coco peat, and some rich compost. Dip the cuttings in rooting hormone and plant them in the pot. You can use a chopstick to make holes in the soil before placing the cuttings. Then, add water and cover the pot with a transparent plastic bag. Remember to cut a few holes in the plastic for airflow. You can also stick some wooden skewers on four sides of the pot to hold the plastic up.

The other way to propagate Chinese lantern plants is from rhizomes. Start by carefully digging up a Chinese lantern plant with a shovel. Make sure there's new growth and that you get a good amount of the rooting system. Next, divide the roots by gently teasing them apart. Once you have rhizomes with at least one healthy-looking shoot each, simply plant them in moist, well-draining soil. You'll want to do this in early spring so the new divisions can have the whole growing season to establish healthy roots. All it takes is a little care and patience, and your new Chinese lanterns will be blooming in no time.