Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Family: Nightshade (Solanacea)

Hardy to Zones 8 to 12 , otherwise grown as an annual, 110 days to maturity

Evergreen or herbaceous subshrub, native to India. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall, producing eventually the lantern-like pods enclosing the pea-sized fruits, green at first and becoming bright red as the inflated calyx dries and becomes transparent.  Pretty little winter cherries.  This ecotype is the one most commonly used in herbal medicine, and is somewhat smaller than the African ecotype.  Traditional usage (Ayurveda): energy and sexual tonic. Plant prefers full sun, fast-draining, alkaline (pH 7.5 to 8.0) soil and moderately dry conditions.  Sweeten regular garden soil with ground limestone.  Light dependent germinator.  Sow in early spring indoors or in the greenhouse.  Average germ time 15 days.  Space 1 foot apart. Pretty little winter cherries.  In colder zones, at the end of the first season, when the tops freeze back, dig the root, wash, cut up and dry the pieces for herbal use.  In the warmer zones, it is possible to harvest a larger root in the fall of the second year.