Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Japan
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Ophiopogon japonicus, Ophiopogon planiscapus
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
5040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Damp shady woods, foothill woods, Lowland
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-116-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12*1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 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
10.20 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
2.30 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Lavender
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Indigo, Dark Blue, Black
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
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
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Regular watering during dry periods
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
Asthma
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antipyretic, Antiscrophulatic, Antitussive, Aphrodisiac
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits
Other Uses
useful as a ground cover
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
OPHIOPOGON japonicus
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Mondo grass, lily turf, snakebeard
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Mondo Grass
Tomatillos
In German
Mondo Grass
Tomatillos
In French
Mondo Grass
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Ophiopogon planiscapus
Tomatillos
In Greek
Mondo Grass
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
Mondo Grass
Tomatillos
In Polish
Mondo Grass
Tomatillos
In Latin
Mondo Grass
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Embryophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Solanales
Family
Liliaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Ophiopogon
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Physaleae
Subfamily
-
Solanoideae
Number of Species
5075
1
27800
👆🏻