Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Canada, Northern Europe, Russia/Siberia, Japan
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
V. vitis-idaea var. vitis-idaea, V. vitis-idaea var. minus Lodd
Number of Varieties
72
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Mountain tops, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-152-6
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires regular watering, when new, water every week
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
for fruiting plants, use high phosphorous content fertilizer, since leafy plants, use higher nitrogen content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
-
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Birds
Allergy
-
Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Arthritis, Gout, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Fruits
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used in making beverages
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Alpine, Bog Garden, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
VACCINIUM vitis-idaea
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Lingonberry
In Hindi
Chayote
Lingonberry
In German
Chayote
Preiselbeere
In French
Chayote
Airelle
In Spanish
Chayote
Lingonberry
In Greek
Chayote
Lingonberry
In Portuguese
chuchu
Lingonberry
In Polish
Chayote
borówki brusznicy
In Latin
chayote
Lingonberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Ericales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Sechium
Vaccinium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
538
1
27800
👆🏻