Are Chinese Lanterns (the flowers) supposed to grow hard purple spikes into the ground like tent stakes?
They turn white when they're in the ground. It just looks pretty strange and creepy
No chinese lanterns are not like that . They are not at all creepy.
There are , in fact TWO different ornamental plants that share the common name 'Chinese Lantern'
I give below the details of both with the links for their photos .
See if any one of them IS the plant in question. But in any case do not fear them.
1 )Abutilon x hybridum is a hybrid shrub in the genus Abutilon, of unknown parentage.
The common name Chinese Lantern is often used, though the same name is also commonly applied to Physalis alkekengi.
It is a popular group of hybrids that are semi-tropical, frost-tender shrubs typically growing 2-3 m tall.
The lantern-like buds open to solitary, pendulous, bell- to cup-shaped flowers to 8 cm diameter with five overlapping petals and significant staminal columns typical of the mallow family.
Flowers come in red, pink, yellow, white and pastel shades. Lobed, maple-like, light green leaves are often variegated with white and yellow.
Sow seed indoors in late winter and set out seedling plants after last frost date.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Abutilon_x_hybridum_%27Moonchimes%27_Flowers_3264px.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Abutilon_x_hybridum_%27Moonchimes%27_Flower_2800px.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Abutilon_x_hybridum_%27Moonchimes%27_Leaves_2550px.jpg
http://www.botanik.uni-karlsruhe.de/garten/fotos-knoch/Abutilon%20x%20hybridum%20Chinalaterne%201.jpg
2 ) Physalis alkekengi (Bladder-cherry, Chinese lantern, Japanese-lantern, or Winter cherry),
is a relative of P. peruviana (Cape Gooseberry), easily identifiable by the larger, bright orange to red papery covering over its fruit, which resemble Chinese lanterns. It is native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 40-60 cm tall, with spirally arranged leaves 6-12 cm long and 4-9 cm broad.
The flowers are white, with a five-lobed corolla 10-15 mm across, with an inflated basal calyx which matures into the papery orange fruit covering, 4-5 cm long and broad.
It is a popular ornamental plant, though can be invasive with its wide-spreading root system sending up new shoots some distance from where it was originally planted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PhysalisAlkekengi-balloon.jpg
http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/images/PA088999.jpg
http://ispb.univ-lyon1.fr/cours/botanique/photos_dicoty/dico%20L%20a%20P/Physalis%20alkekengi%20fleurs.jpg
http://www.bgard.science.ru.nl/images/08594080.jpg
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