Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
North America, United States, Canada
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Schizachyrium scoparium
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
3040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside, Prairies, Roadsides
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-76-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7 - 1
12*1
Sunset Zone
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
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
Upright/Erect
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 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
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Red, Bronze, Orange Red
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
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
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Ample Water
Moderate
In Winter
Ample 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
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Leaf spot
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Bees
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
-
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits
Other Uses
-
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Little Bluestem
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
little bluestem
Tomatillos
In German
wenig bluestem
Tomatillos
In French
barbon
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Poco bluestem
Tomatillos
In Greek
Μικρή bluestem
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
pouco bluestem
Tomatillos
In Polish
trochę bluestem
Tomatillos
In Latin
parum bluestem
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Solanales
Family
Poaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Schizachyrium
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Andropogoneae
Physaleae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Solanoideae
Number of Species
1075
1
27800
👆🏻