Cape gooseberry, called poha in Hawai‘i, was distributed by early explorers and first reported in England in 1774. A commercial crop in many countries, the poha is often used in Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. First noted on the Big Island in 1825, the fruit is common in the wild and cultivated for home and commercial use around the state.
The plant is a low-growing shrub with velvety leaves and yellow, bell-shaped flowers. Mature fruit is round and orange skinned with many edible seeds. It is juicy and sweet with a distinctive flavor.
