Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Tropical Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
4010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
12-9
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, 24
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Oblong or Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs
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
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
-
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
Tomatillos
Elephant Apple
In German
Tomatillos
Elefant von Apple
In French
Tomatilles
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
Tomatillos
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
Tomatillos
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
Tomatillos
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
Tomatillos
Elephant Apple
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Dilleniales
Family
Solanaceae
Dilleniaceae
Genus
Physalis
Dillenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Physaleae
-
Subfamily
Solanoideae
-
Number of Species
751
1
27800
👆🏻