Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
North America, United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Foxtail muhly, Devils Canyon muhly, alkali muhly
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
240
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
High elevation, Hillside, Slopes
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-106-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 7
12*1
Sunset Zone
-
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.72 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink, Purple, White
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, White
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Blue Green, Gray Green, Tan
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Fall, Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs less watering, Water every 3 weeks until the root ball is wet
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Grass Cuttting and pruning up to 5cm, Prune in early spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, EDTA iron
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
Pollen
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
-
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
MUHLENBERGIA emersleyi
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Bull Grass
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Bull Grass
Tomatillos
In German
Bull Grass
Tomatillos
In French
Bull Herbe
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Bull Hierba
Tomatillos
In Greek
Δελτίο Grass
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
touro grama
Tomatillos
In Polish
Bull Trawa
Tomatillos
In Latin
Bull Grass
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Solanales
Family
Poaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Muhlenbergia
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Eragrostideae
Physaleae
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
Solanoideae
Number of Species
18075
1
27800
👆🏻