Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-9
-9999
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, 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
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
-
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Tomatillos
Malabarspinat
In French
Tomatilles
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Tomatillos
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Tomatillos
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Tomatillos
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Tomatillos
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Solanales
Caryophyllales
Family
Solanaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Tomatillo and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Tomatillo and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Tomatillo and Malabar Spinach 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 Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Tomatillo has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin.
Compare Facts of Tomatillo vs Malabar Spinach
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 Malabar Spinach 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 Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Tomatillo has showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Tomatillo is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Tomatillo and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.