- Author: Karen Metz
Late this fall, I spotted something sprouting in my pot of Clivia, Clivia miniata. Now I don't know about you all, but trying to identify seedlings is pretty difficult for me. They all look pretty much alike. Now my Clivia hadn't been doing great in this drought. I don't think it has ever bloomed for me. Now here was this invader. I decided to let it grow and see what it was. As it grew it looked familiar, but I still couldn't quite place it. When it bloomed and then started to make it's small fruit I knew exactly what it was, Tomatillo or Physalis ixocarpa.
Now what is interesting is that I hadn't grown any tomatillo in my garden this year, although I usually do. I am not sure whether the seed blew in from one of my neighbors, was brought in by birds, or had lain dormant from previous year's harvests. It's also not the right time for tomatillos. It's a summer garden plant. I think it must have been some of the unseasonably warm fall days we had that sparked the germination. According to one resource it said tomatillo seeds could germinate in 5 days.
I was intrigued by this happening. Hey at least something was blooming in that pot. So I've let it be, I am always impressed with the curve balls nature seems to throw at us.