Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Ficus benjamina
Number of Varieties
7800
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Temperate Regions, tropical environments, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 13, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm2,440.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm3,050.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Yellow, Red, Green, Pink, Orange Red, Black
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
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Elliptic
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
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Cuttings, Layering
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Water carefully
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
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
10-10-10, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Birds
Allergy
-
Rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Bonsai, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Reduce Bruises
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Bark, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Container
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
FICUS benjamina
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Weeping Fig, Benjamin's fig, Ficus tree
In Hindi
Chayote
रो अंजीर
In German
Chayote
Birkenfeige
In French
Chayote
figuier pleureur
In Spanish
Chayote
higo llorón
In Greek
Chayote
κλάμα σύκο
In Portuguese
chuchu
chorando fig
In Polish
Chayote
płacz rys
In Latin
chayote
Plorans ficum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Urticales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Sechium
Ficus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Sicyeae
Ficeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5850
1
27800
👆🏻