Chinese Lantern

Scientific name

Physalis alkekengi

Common name

Chinese lantern

Type

Outdoor plant

Toxicity: 3-4

Ingestion in large amounts can cause serious effects. These plants are known to cause problems in animals.

Toxic parts

All parts

Description

• Egg-shaped or heart-shaped leaves alternate on stems. Leaves often have wavy or jagged edges.
• Small, white 5-petaled flowers mature to papery red pods that resemble Chinese paper lanterns.

The list of poisonous plants on this Web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known or that might be found in a home or yard. Also, the plants are listed by common or scientific name but might be known to you by other names. The University of Kansas Hospital does not advise eating any of the plants on this web site. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. The information on this site is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. In case of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Center 1-800-222-1222.