Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fruit
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern Asia
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Starfruit
Number of Varieties
402
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-910-14
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
11-5
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
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Pink, Rose, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Oblovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Frost
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
Kidney Stone
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
AVERRHOA carambola
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Carambola, Starfruit
In Hindi
Tomatillos
carambola पेड़
In German
Tomatillos
Sternfrucht Baum
In French
Tomatilles
arbre carambole
In Spanish
Tomatillos
árbol de carambola
In Greek
Tomatillos
carambola δέντρο
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
árvore de carambola
In Polish
Tomatillos
karambola drzewo
In Latin
Tomatillos
carambola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Oxalidales
Family
Solanaceae
Oxalidaceae
Genus
Physalis
Averrhoa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Physaleae
-
Subfamily
Solanoideae
-
Number of Species
75180
1
27800
👆🏻