Tomatillo
Physalis philadelphica
Vegetables Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
A relative of tomatoes producing small, round green or purple fruits enclosed in papery husks. The essential ingredient in salsa verde and many Mexican dishes, tomatillos have a tangy, citrusy flavor. They are self-sterile, requiring at least two plants for cross-pollination and fruit set.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
💧
Water
Every 2-3 days
💨
Humidity
Moderate (50-65%)
🌡️
Temperature
18-30°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining loamy soil with moderate organic matter; pH 6.0-7.0
🧪
Fertilizer
Balanced fertilizer at planting; side-dress with low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer when flowers appear
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
टोमाटिलो
BN
Bengali
টোমাটিলো
MR
Marathi
टोमाटिलो
TE
Telugu
టోమాటిలో
TA
Tamil
டோமாட்டிலோ
GU
Gujarati
ટોમાટિલો
UR
Urdu
ٹومیٹیلو
KN
Kannada
ಟೊಮಾಟಿಲೋ
OR
Odia
ଟୋମାଟିଲୋ
ML
Malayalam
ടൊമാറ്റില്ലോ
PA
Punjabi
ਟੋਮਾਟੀਲੋ
AS
Assamese
টমাটিলো
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Mexico, Central America
- 📏 Max height
- 60-150 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 60-90 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic edible fruits; all other parts of the plant (leaves, stems, husks) are not edible. Ripe tomatillos are safe raw or cooked
- 🌱 Propagation
- Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost; transplant after danger of frost has passed; space 60-90 cm apart
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic edible fruits; all other parts of the plant (leaves, stems, husks) are not edible. Ripe tomatillos are safe raw or cooked
Common issues
- Flea beetle damage on young leaves
- Husk splitting from inconsistent watering
- Poor fruit set from planting only one plant
💡 Care tips
- Essential ingredient for authentic salsa verde
- Papery husks split and turn brown when fruit is ripe
- Plant at least two for cross-pollination
- Grows similarly to tomatoes but is more heat-tolerant
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 3 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
