I DIDN'T DO IT!!
Yeah, Yeah, we have heard it all before!
No names or places have been changed, here is my story!
Several months ago I received some seeds from a company in Hawaii. They were things I had ordered, but they also included some free bonus seeds. I was delighted. I planted some of them just to see how they would do. They grew beautifully! As a matter of fact, as of the writing of this story, they are beginning to bloom. All is well.
Then, I thought I was going to be in BIG trouble because of this plant. I found out through happenstance that growing Currents and Gooseberries is illegal in North Carolina! This is what I found:
Section 48A .0401 - CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY PLANTS
(a) All wild and cultivated currant and gooseberry plants in North Carolina are hereby declared to be dangerous plants and are subject to destruction upon notice by the Commissioner of Agriculture or authorized agents wherever found.
(b) No person shall knowingly and willfully keep upon his or her premises any currant or gooseberry plant, or permit such plants to mature seed or otherwise multiply upon his or her land.
02 N.C. Admin. Code 48A .0401
According to NC State Extension, The reason Gooseberry is illegal is that these plants serve as alternate hosts for White Pine Blister Rust. This imported disease destroyed white pine forests across the northeastern United States in the early 1900s. This unusual disease does not spread from white pine to white pine; it has to go through an alternate host plant in the genus Ribes.
Read more at: https://newcropsorganics.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/09/can-i-grow-gooseberries-or-currants-in-nc/
Why is this pertinent? The above-unnamed plant that I got seeds from Hawaii had the common name of Cape Gooseberry! I thought my goose was cooked!!
Do I destroy the plant like it never existed? Get rid of the rest of the seeds like a junky down the toilet? Should I continue to grow it and fain ignorance? (That one was quickly dispelled) Do I contact the authorities and........ Then something clicked in my head. I needed more research!
I found this: Gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa, or any of several species of flowering shrubs of the genus Ribes (family Grossulariaceae), cultivated for their edible fruits and as ornamentals. Yup, that is what is illegal in North Carolina, any species in the Ribes family.
I went back to my invoice and looked up what the seeds were she had sent me, plus I looked at her website. My Cape Gooseberries (a.k.a. Poha Berries) are Physalis peruviana. THIS plant is closely related to the tomatillo, a member of the plant family Solanaceae, which is also more distantly related to a large number of edible plants, including tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes.
Image courtesy of the company I got the seeds from, https://mauiseeds.com/ Please check them out if you are looking for some really cool tropical fruit.
SO, after I had a minor panic attack and thought for sure I was going to plant prison, a lesson was learned.
Which brings me to the ACTUAL purpose behind this article!
Common names can get you in trouble or at least be the cause of some major confusion. Please, don't think that when a gardener starts spouting botanical Latin names that they are trying to sound smart or impress you, they are just trying to make sure we are all talking about the same plant and are NOT going to plant prison!!
In summary, even though my plant is part of the deadly nightshade family and could very well be poisonous, at least they are not illegal!!
Happy Growing!
Darren