Physalis philadelphica

Tomatillo, Tomatillo

Family: Solanaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Tomatillo is a naturalized annual found in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, central western California, southern coastal California, and Peninsular Ranges in disturbed places, moist ground, and roadsides at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces yellow flowers with five dark purple spots and a rotate shape 8 to 15 millimeters wide. Growing up to one meter tall with glabrous or sparsely puberulent stems, it develops lance-ovate to ovate leaves 2 to 8 centimeters long with rounded to tapered bases and entire or toothed margins. Its leaves have petioles generally half the length of the leaf blade, with acute to acuminate tips. The fruit develops in an expanded calyx 20 to 30 millimeters long, which provides a distinctive characteristic for identification.

Habitat: Disturbed places, moist ground, roadsides

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: < 700(2000) m

Bioregions: SNF, GV, CW, SCo, PR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.