Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Eastern Asia, China
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Babylon
Number of Varieties
73
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Lake margins, River side, Swamps, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-155-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
10-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Light Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Divison, Rooted stem cutting, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep ground moist, Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Aphids, Beetles, Caterpillars, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Erosion control, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree, Shelter for wildlife, Versatility
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Headache, Sedative, Stomach pain
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Tree trunks
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Showy Purposes, Used as firewood, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
SALIX babylonica f. tortuosa
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Corkscrew Willow
In Hindi
Chayote
पेंचकश विलो
In German
Chayote
Korkenzieher-Weide
In French
Chayote
Tire-bouchon Willow
In Spanish
Chayote
Tire-bouchon Willow
In Greek
Chayote
τιρμπουσόν Willow
In Portuguese
chuchu
corkscrew salgueiro
In Polish
Chayote
korkociąg Willow
In Latin
chayote
corkscrew Willow
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Malpighiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Salicaceae
Genus
Sechium
Salix
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Sicyeae
Saliceae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Salicoideae
Number of Species
535
1
27800
👆🏻