Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
140
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-156-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12*1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 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
Twisted/Contorted
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
-
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Tomatillos
In German
Bursera simaruba
Tomatillos
In French
Bursera simaruba
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Tomatillos
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Tomatillos
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Tomatillos
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Solanales
Family
Burseraceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Bursera
Physalis
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Physaleae
Subfamily
-
Solanoideae
Number of Species
1075
1
27800
👆🏻