Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
Asia, Europe, North Africa
Mexico, Central America
Types
purple moor-grass 'Moorhexe', variegated purple moor-grass
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
207
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Lowland
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12-3
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Purple
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Gold
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Transplanting, Vegetative Reproduction
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more frequently during periods of extreme drought
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
-
Dry Conditions
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes, Water gardening
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Foundation, Mixed Border
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Molinia caerulea
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
purple moor-grass
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
बैंगनी दलदल घास
Chayote
In German
Pfeifengras
Chayote
In French
pourpre lande-grass
Chayote
In Spanish
púrpura amarra-hierba
Chayote
In Greek
μωβ Moor-γρασίδι
Chayote
In Portuguese
purple moor-grass
chuchu
In Polish
fioletowy Moor-trawa
Chayote
In Latin
Maurus herba-purpura,
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Violales
Family
Poaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Molinia
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Sicyeae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
25
1
27800
👆🏻