Scientific Name:
Physalis philadelphica
Pronunciation:
fizz-AY-liss fill-uh-DEL-fih-kuh
Common Name:
tomatillo, Mexican husk tomato
Family Name:
Solanaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, ovate, most blades 7-10cm long x 5-8cm wide, coarsely toothed, pubescent; flowers white, petal fused, fuzzy, about 3cm wide; berry surrounded by a persistent green to purplish paper-like calyx.
Habit:
Arching
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central America, Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Container planting, Perennial border, Urban agriculture (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Oblique (uneven), Rounded
Margins:
Dentate
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green-yellow, Dark-red
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug
Fruit Type:
Berry (true), Edible
Fruit Colour:
Yellow, Green, Purple, Red
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy, Accessory tissue, Edible, Surrounded by a poisonous dry green-brown husk formed from the calyx
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids, Caterpillar or cutworm, Mites, Slugs or snails, Virus, Whitefly (Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
