Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, Australia
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
540
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Warm and moist climatic conditions
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-156-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12*1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 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
610.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Light Pink, Ivory
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Plum
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Get enough water whenever the soil is dry
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
-
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibiotic, Cough, Headache, hemorrhoids, Respiratory Disorders, Rheumatism
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Flowers, Leaves, Wood
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as essential oil
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
MELALEUCA quinquenervia
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Cajeput Tree, Paperbark Tree, Punk Tree
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Paperbark tree
Tomatillos
In German
Paperbark tree
Tomatillos
In French
Paperbark tree
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Paperbark tree
Tomatillos
In Greek
Paperbark tree
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
Paperbark tree
Tomatillos
In Polish
Paperbark tree
Tomatillos
In Latin
Paperbark tree
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Solanales
Family
Myrtaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Melaleuca
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Physaleae
Subfamily
-
Solanoideae
Number of Species
1375
1
27800
👆🏻