Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
Middle Africa
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Perennial Grass
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
1540
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-116-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12*1
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, 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
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
120.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
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, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
हाथी घास
Tomatillos
In German
Elefantengras
Tomatillos
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Tomatilles
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Tomatillos
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Tomatillos
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Tomatillos
In Latin
elephanti herba
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Solanales
Family
Poaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
Physaleae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Solanoideae
Number of Species
175
1
27800
👆🏻