In China, India and Malaya, the cape gooseberry is commonly grown but on a lesser scale. In India, it is often interplanted with vegetables. It is naturalized on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Seeds were taken to Hawaii before 1825 and the plant is naturalized on all the islands at medium and somewhat higher elevations. It was at one time extensively cultivated in Hawaii. By 1966, commercial culture had nearly disappeared and processors had to buy the fruit from backyard growers at high prices. It is widespread as an exotic weed in the South Sea Islands but not seriously cultivated. The first seeds were planted in Israel in 1933. The plants grew and bore very well in cultivation and soon spread as escapes, but the fruit did not appeal to consumers, either fresh or preserved, and promotional efforts ceased.