Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Mexico, Central America
Types
Dasylirion acrotrichum, Dasylirion berlandieri, Dasylirion cedrosanum
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
67
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Dry areas, Rocky areas
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-3
Sunset Zone
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
Rosette/Stemless
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
17.78 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.16 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Narrow
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
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?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water occasionally
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilzer with low nitrogen content
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
Farmland
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
useful as a ground cover
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DASYLIRION berlandieri
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Blue Giant, Blue Twister, Desert Spoon, Zaragosa
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Blue Giant Grass
Chayote
In German
Blue Giant Grass
Chayote
In French
Blue Giant Herbe
Chayote
In Spanish
Blue Grass gigante
Chayote
In Greek
Μπλε Giant Grass
Chayote
In Portuguese
Blue Grass gigante
chuchu
In Polish
Błękitny Gigant Trawa
Chayote
In Latin
Giant herba blue
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Violales
Family
Agavaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Dasylirion
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Nolinoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
225
1
27800
👆🏻