Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
Southwestern United States
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia emersleyi
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
540
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sandy areas
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-116-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12*1
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Clump-Forming
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
fertilize in spring
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Deers, Insects
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
-
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Nesting sites for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Sore throat
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
MUHLENBERGIA rigens
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Deer Grass
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
हिरण घास
Tomatillos
In German
Deer Grass
Tomatillos
In French
cerfs Herbe
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Ciervo Hierba
Tomatillos
In Greek
ελάφια Grass
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
cervos grama
Tomatillos
In Polish
Deer Trawa
Tomatillos
In Latin
deer Grass
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Solanales
Family
Poaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Muhlenbergia
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Physaleae
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
Solanoideae
Number of Species
4075
1
27800
👆🏻