Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Mexico, Central America
North America, Canada, Mexico
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Number of Varieties
738
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
9 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Grass 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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Divison, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular 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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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 in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Birds, Wildlife
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
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
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
PANICUM virgatum
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Switchgrass
In Hindi
Chayote
Switchgrass
In German
Chayote
Switchgrass
In French
Chayote
switchgrass
In Spanish
Chayote
switchgrass
In Greek
Chayote
switchgrass
In Portuguese
chuchu
switchgrass
In Polish
Chayote
switchgrass
In Latin
chayote
switchgrass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Cyperales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Sechium
Panicum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
5450
1
27800
👆🏻