Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Brazil
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Neomarica gracilis
Number of Varieties
73
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
subtropical regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-157-14
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12 - 8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White, Blue, Burgundy, Lavender, Blue Violet
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
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Sword-like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
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 Spring, Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Cut out old leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Balanced garden plant fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Bacterial Diseases, Fungal Diseases, Rodent, Viruses
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
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
-
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Tropical
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
NEOMARICA caerulea
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Giant Apostle's Iris, Walking Iris
In Hindi
Chayote
Walking Iris
In German
Chayote
Gehen Iris
In French
Chayote
Iris Marcher
In Spanish
Chayote
caminar Iris
In Greek
Chayote
περπάτημα Iris
In Portuguese
chuchu
Andar Iris
In Polish
Chayote
Walking Iris
In Latin
chayote
O Thaumantias
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Liliales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Sechium
Neomarica
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Mariceae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
528
1
27800
👆🏻