Tomatillo—Physalis ixocarpa Brot. ex Hornem.1
The tomatillo is a close relative to the husk tomato. Both have small tomato-like fruits enclosed in thin papery husks. Varieties of tomatillo usually have larger fruits than the husk tomato.
Credit: Blue Goose, Inc.
Credit: James M. Stephens, UF/IFAS
Tomatillo, which was introduced to the United States from Mexico, is popular with Latinos. For this reason it is grown to a very limited extent in south Florida for the Cuban Americans in that region.
Culture
Both tomatillo and husk tomato grow well in Florida gardens when planted and cultivated in a manner similar to tomatoes. Fall production in Gainesville, FL, has proven very successful. The tomato fruit worm causes severe injury to the fruits at times.
Use
The round 3-inch diameter green or purplish fruits are used in making chili sauce and in other Mexican dishes.
