Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Africa, Madagascar
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
Number of Varieties
40300
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
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
21,22
Habit
Oval/Rounded
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm243.84 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm91.44 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
White, Red, Purple, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Prune in spring, Prune in summer, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove hanging branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
PENTAS
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
In Hindi
Tomatillos
Pentas plant
In German
Tomatillos
Pentas Pflanze
In French
Tomatilles
plante Pentas
In Spanish
Tomatillos
planta pentas
In Greek
Tomatillos
φυτό Pentas
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
planta Pentas
In Polish
Tomatillos
Pentas roślin
In Latin
Tomatillos
Pentas herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Gentianales
Family
Solanaceae
Rubiaceae
Genus
Physalis
Pentas
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Physaleae
Knoxieae
Subfamily
Solanoideae
Rubioideae
Number of Species
7582
1
27800
👆🏻