Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Mexico, Central America
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
African or American Marigolds, French Marigolds, Mule Marigolds
Number of Varieties
750
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Roadsides, wastelands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Yellow, Orange, Gold, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Allow to dry out slightly between watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, 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 ocassionally, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Alternaria Leaf Spot, Bacterial leaf spot, Damping-off, Gray mold, Powdery mildew, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Butterflies
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
Burns, constipation, Inflammation, Upset stomach, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Flowers, Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Flower borders
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
Tagetes lucida
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
sweetscented marigold, Mexican marigold
In Hindi
Chayote
sweetscented marigold
In German
Chayote
süß duftend Ringelblume
In French
Chayote
Yauhtli
In Spanish
Chayote
pericón, Santa María, yerbanís
In Greek
Chayote
γλυκό άρωμα κατιφέ
In Portuguese
chuchu
Tarragon Mexicano
In Polish
Chayote
słodkie pachnące nagietka
In Latin
chayote
sweetscented marigold
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Asterales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Sechium
Tagetes
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
550
1
27800
👆🏻