Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Gasteria brachyphylla, Gasteria rawlinsonii
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
1640
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Deciduous forests, River side, rocky banks of streams
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*1
Sunset Zone
13, 16, 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
Rosette/Stemless
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
12.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Coral
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Tongue shaped
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Less Watering
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Fusarium root rot, Red blotch
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat And Humidity
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Flies
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
Irritation to intestines, Skin rash
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Good for the Scalp
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Blood disorders, Laxative
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Sap
Fruits
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Shampoo, Oil is used in mosquito repellents
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
GASTERIA
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Gasteria
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Gasteria
Tomatillos
In German
Gasteria
Tomatillos
In French
Gasteria
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Gasteria
Tomatillos
In Greek
Gasteria
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
Gasteria
Tomatillos
In Polish
Gasteria
Tomatillos
In Latin
Gasteria
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
Monocots
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Solanales
Family
Aloaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Gasteria
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Physaleae
Subfamily
Asphodeloideae
Solanoideae
Number of Species
1675
1
27800
👆🏻