Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
15040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-126-9
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
Habit
Bushy, Evergreen
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Green, Purple
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Damp
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Ample Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Damp
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
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
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
-
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
-
Beauty Benefits
Weightloss
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
Plectranthus scutellarioides
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Coleus, Painted nettle
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Coleus
Tomatillos
In German
Buntnessel
Tomatillos
In French
Vieux garçon
Tomatilles
In Spanish
coleo
Tomatillos
In Greek
Coleus
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
cóleus
Tomatillos
In Polish
Coleus
Tomatillos
In Latin
Coleus
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Solanales
Family
Lamiaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Coleus
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Physaleae
Subfamily
-
Solanoideae
Number of Species
15075
1
27800
👆🏻