Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-9
10-15
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, 13, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Twisted/Contorted
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Crimson, Copper
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Compound
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
occasional watering once established
In Summer
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
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 leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Edible Uses
Yes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
BURSERA simaruba
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
In Hindi
Tomatillos
Bursera simaruba
In German
Tomatillos
Bursera simaruba
In French
Tomatilles
Bursera simaruba
In Spanish
Tomatillos
Bursera simaruba
In Greek
Tomatillos
Bursera simaruba
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
Bursera simaruba
In Polish
Tomatillos
Bursera simaruba
In Latin
Tomatillos
Bursera simaruba
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Solanales
Sapindales
Family
Solanaceae
Burseraceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Eudicots
Importance of Tomatillo and Gumbo Limbo
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Tomatillo and Gumbo Limbo. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Tomatillo and Gumbo Limbo as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Tomatillo is Cancer, Diabetes, Energy and Opthalmic whereas of Gumbo Limbo is Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and Headache. Tomatillo has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin while Gumbo Limbo has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin.
Compare Facts of Tomatillo vs Gumbo Limbo
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Tomatillo vs Gumbo Limbo and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Tomatillo are Arthritis and Inflammation whereas of Gumbo Limbo have allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Tomatillo has showy fruits and Gumbo Limbo has showy fruits. Also Tomatillo is not flowering and Gumbo Limbo is not flowering . You can compare Tomatillo and Gumbo Limbo facts and facts of other plants too.