Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
Mediterranean, Northern Africa
Mexico, Central America
Types
Erianthus ravennae, Saccharum ravennae
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
1907
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
marshes, Riverbanks
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 6
12-3
Sunset Zone
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Silver
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
White, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Tan
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Fall
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Vegetative
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water once every two or three weeks
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
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut back all stems to the same height
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
0-10-10 NPK fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Drought, Edema
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Birds
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Noxious Weed
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Showy Purposes
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Cultivated for fodder
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
SACCHARUM ravennae
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Hardy Pampas Grass, Plume Grass, Ravennagrass
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Plume Grass
Chayote
In German
Plume Gras
Chayote
In French
Plume Herbe
Chayote
In Spanish
Penacho de hierba
Chayote
In Greek
Plume Grass
Chayote
In Portuguese
Plume grama
chuchu
In Polish
Pióropusz Trawa
Chayote
In Latin
Kessinger Grass
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Violales
Family
Poaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Saccharum
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Andropogoneae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
4005
1
27800
👆🏻