Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Mexico, Central America
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
407
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
12-3
Sunset Zone
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
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Medium
In Summer
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry Conditions
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Tomatillos
Chayote
In German
Tomatillos
Chayote
In French
Tomatilles
Chayote
In Spanish
Tomatillos
Chayote
In Greek
Tomatillos
Chayote
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
chuchu
In Polish
Tomatillos
Chayote
In Latin
Tomatillos
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Violales
Family
Solanaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Physalis
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Physaleae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Solanoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
755
1
27800
👆🏻