I work at a flower shop a few days a week, and every week there's a particular plant that every single customer freaks out about. This week it's the Japanese Lanterns, and I can't say I blame them: they are adorable, and autumnal to boot.
Japanese Lanterns (also known as Chinese lanterns, bladder cherries, and winter cherries) are fascinating! They seem to be inflated, like festive balloons, and the "cherry" in the center stays bright orange, even as the husks dry into intricate lace (see the amazing photo here). The cherries are quite sour, chock-full of Vitamin C, and are used in jams, jellies, desserts, and traditional medicines, but the rest of the plant (as well as unripe cherries) are toxic!
• Japanese lanterns are fun to incorporate into an all-orange arrangement, providing height, texture, and whimsy, but I also like them on their own, plopped carelessly yet gracefully in a jar.
• I don't have a lot of experience drying them, but I've found if you buy fresh lanterns and keep them out of water (in a dry vase), the husks will stay bright and the stems will stay strong. Does anyone have any tips?
• If you have a garden- especially a south-facing garden- Taylor Miller of The Herb Companion has some growing tips.
• FruitsInfo has detailed information regarding Japanese lanterns' medicinal uses, as well as two recipes!
• Muza-chan attended the Hozuki Ichi (Chinese Lantern Festival) in Japan a couple of years ago, and her photos are amazing.
Images: 1. OlivePoppy Print available on Etsy, 2. Swallowtail Garden Seeds 3. Weddings: Cheap & Chic 4. & 5. Muza-chan's Gate To Japan
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I have a BUNCH of these in my bedroom. I got them a couple years ago (they are fake), and I LOVE them!
I remember that my parents once planted these against the side of the house for foundation cover. Not only were they extremely easy to grow, they spread like crazy, and were difficult to remove. Years after pulling up the stalks and roots we would still see the occasional plant spring up.
I also remember that we would try to dry them. While the orange pod would dry out well, the berries inside rotted and smelled. There must be another trick to doing this successfully.
As stated, an extremely invasive plant but will grow anywhere. They've flourished under my maple tree where nothing else will. I pick them in the fall and they last all winter. Do not put them in water. If you just want to display the small, shiny berries inside the lantern, you have to carefully cut away the lanten with scissors. The berries will last for a couple of months before they shrivel up.
Am I wrong to know these as Chinese Lanterns... am starting some sort of culture war? :)
On a serious note: are they different than what I have planted in my yard?
Whoops! Missed the separate reference to Chinese Lanterns! My bad... it's late in the day.
people are saying invasive plant grows under things - but arent they a tree? Have seen them on such here...
I LOVE these. So colorful and I love the shape.