Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Australia
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Wodyetia bifurcata
Number of Varieties
73
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Forest edges
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Linear
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
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Does not require lot of watering, Use and maintain water-efficient soaker hoses, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather, Water in morning to avoid prompting diseases, Water twice a day in the initial period
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
WODYETIA bifurcata
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Foxtail Palm
In Hindi
Chayote
Foxtail palm
In German
Chayote
Fuchsschwanz -palme
In French
Chayote
sétaire palme
In Spanish
Chayote
la cola de zorra de palma
In Greek
Chayote
αλωπέκουρου παλάμη
In Portuguese
chuchu
foxtail palma
In Polish
Chayote
włośnica palmowy
In Latin
chayote
foxtail palmarum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Arecales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Sechium
Wodyetia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Arecoideae
Number of Species
527
1
27800
👆🏻