Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Mexico, Central America
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Number of Varieties
4035
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Tropical areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-99-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
12-10
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, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm30.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Oblong to lance-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Divison, Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Needs watering once a week, Requires more often in extreme heat
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
Butterflies
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
CUPHEA hyssopifolia
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather
In Hindi
Tomatillos
Mexican Heather
In German
Tomatillos
Mexican Heather
In French
Tomatilles
Mexicaine Heather
In Spanish
Tomatillos
Heather mexicana
In Greek
Tomatillos
Μεξικού Heather
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
Mexican Heather
In Polish
Tomatillos
Mexican Heather
In Latin
Tomatillos
Mexicanus Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Myrtales
Family
Solanaceae
Lythraceae
Genus
Physalis
Cuphea
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Physaleae
-
Subfamily
Solanoideae
Lythroideae
Number of Species
75250
1
27800
👆🏻