Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Latin America and the Caribbean
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Heliconiaceae
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
19440
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates, Warmer regions
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-156-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12*1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Thicket/Colonizing
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Orange Red
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red, Orange
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Micropropagation
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
Fertilize every two months
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red blotch, Soft scales
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Salt
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Insects
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
Toxic
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Healing
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Root, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Florist trade and landscaping
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
HELICONIA psittacorum 'Lady Di'
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Heliconia, Lady Di Heliconia, Parakeet Flower
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Heliconia
Tomatillos
In German
Heliconia
Tomatillos
In French
Heliconia
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Heliconia
Tomatillos
In Greek
Heliconia
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
Heliconia
Tomatillos
In Polish
Heliconia
Tomatillos
In Latin
Heliconia
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Solanales
Family
Heliconiaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Heliconia
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Physaleae
Subfamily
-
Solanoideae
Number of Species
19875
1
27800
👆🏻