Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
World, Pandemic, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
307
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bluffs, Sandy stream banks, Wooded slopes
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-1010-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-1
12-3
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple, Lavender, Blue Violet
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
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
Long Linear
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
Medium
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry Conditions
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Insects
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Liver problems, Skin Disorders, Treatment of ulcers
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a spice
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
IRIS cristata
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Crested Iris
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
कलगी आइरिस
Chayote
In German
Crested Iris
Chayote
In French
Crested Iris
Chayote
In Spanish
Crested Iris
Chayote
In Greek
Crested Iris
Chayote
In Portuguese
Crested Iris
chuchu
In Polish
Czubaty Iris
Chayote
In Latin
iubatum Iris
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Violales
Family
Iridaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Iris
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Irideae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2105
1
27800
👆🏻