Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbs
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southern Europe
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
405
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-94-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
12-1
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
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
Oval/Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Ovate
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
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
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
Neutral
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 flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
Bees
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Tomatillos
नींबू बाम
In German
Tomatillos
Lemonbalm
In French
Tomatilles
mélisse
In Spanish
Tomatillos
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Tomatillos
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Tomatillos
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Tomatillos
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Lamiales
Family
Solanaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Physalis
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Physaleae
-
Subfamily
Solanoideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
754
1
27800
👆🏻