This is widely cultivated (often as "Cape-gooseberry") in tropical and subtropical regions, where it can be perennial. In temperate regions, there is less cultivation and plants are strictly annual. The species rarely persists as an escape in North America (K). There are reports from CART (Huffaker 1975) and NELS (MM #13659-85), but these records remain uncertain; the NELS coll. (now at APSU) is incomplete, with flowers lost. P. peruviana appears close to heterophylla but differs as follows (F): leaves relatively large, cordate-ovate, often long acuminate, mostly 8-15 cm long (versus ovate, orbicular or rhombic, not prominently acuminate, 6-11 cm long); pubescence glandless (versus usually somewhat glandular); calyx lobes lance-acuminate (versus triangular).