Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Number of Varieties
710
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
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 Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
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
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought, Soil Compaction
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
Chayote
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Chayote
Kapok baum
In French
Chayote
Fromager
In Spanish
Chayote
Ceiba
In Greek
Chayote
Ceiba
In Portuguese
chuchu
Mafumeira
In Polish
Chayote
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
chayote
Ceiba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Malvales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Bombacaceae
Genus
Sechium
Ceiba
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
510
1
27800
👆🏻