Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Aquatics
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southern Asia
Types
Green Tomatillo, Purple Tomatillo
Nelumbo nucifera
Number of Varieties
40100
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Ponds
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-99-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*1
12-3
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
21,22
Habit
Oval/Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Sandy Brown
White, Red, Pink, Light Pink, Hot Pink, Rose, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Purple, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Orbicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, In Water, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove all suckers, Remove wet foliage
Cut away fading foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
20N–4.4P–16.6K at 20-d intervals
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flea beetles
Beetles, Insects
Allergy
Arthritis, Inflammation
Constipation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Promotes healthy skin, Provides herbal hair care
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Energy, Opthalmic
Antidiarrhoeal, Astringent, Cancer, Cardiotonic, Febrifuge, Hypotensive, Resolvent, Stomachic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used for making green salsas and chilli sauce, Used in salads
Leaves are used to wrap small parcels, Roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute, Root is used as a vegetable
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Feature Plant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
PHYSALIS philadelphica
NELUMBO nucifera
Common Name
Green Tomato, Mexican Groundcherry, Tomatillo
East Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus
In Hindi
Tomatillos
पवित्र कमल
In German
Tomatillos
Heiliges Lotus
In French
Tomatilles
Lotus Sacré
In Spanish
Tomatillos
loto sagrado
In Greek
Tomatillos
ιερή Lotus
In Portuguese
Tomatillos
Lotus sagrado
In Polish
Tomatillos
Sacred Lotus
In Latin
Tomatillos
sacra Lotus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Proteales
Family
Solanaceae
Nymphaeaceae
Genus
Physalis
Abelia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Physaleae
-
Subfamily
Solanoideae
Nelumbonaceae
Number of Species
755
1
27800
👆🏻