Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Kigelia africana
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Number of Varieties
940
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-126-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12*1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 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
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
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, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
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
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Birds, Flea beetles
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Arthritis, Inflammation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
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, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
PHYSALIS philadelphica
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
Tomatillos
In German
Sausage Tree
Tomatillos
In French
saucisse Arbre
Tomatilles
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
Tomatillos
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Tomatillos
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
Tomatillos
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Tomatillos
In Latin
farciminis ligno
Tomatillos
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Solanales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Physalis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Tecomeae
Physaleae
Subfamily
-
Solanoideae
Number of Species
975
1
27800
👆🏻