Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
405
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
12*7
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, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Aphids
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
-
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Tomatillos
पोई
In German
Tomatillos
Malabarspinat
In French
Tomatilles
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Tomatillos
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Tomatillos
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Tomatillos
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Tomatillos
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Solanales
Caryophyllales
Family
Solanaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Physalis
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Physaleae
-
Subfamily
Solanoideae
-
Number of Species
7560
1
27800
👆🏻