Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
New Zealand
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
408
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-910-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
12-9
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, 23, 24
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires regular watering
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
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
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
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Tomatillos
pohutukawa
In German
Tomatillos
pohutukawa
In French
Tomatilles
pohutukawa
In Spanish
Tomatillos
pohutukawa
In Greek
Tomatillos
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
pohutukawa
In Polish
Tomatillos
pohutukawa
In Latin
Tomatillos
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Solanales
Myrtales
Family
Solanaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Physalis
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Physaleae
-
Subfamily
Solanoideae
-
Number of Species
7512
1
27800
👆🏻