Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Mexico, Central America
Types
MELAMPODIUM divaricatum 'Million Gold', MELAMPODIUM leucanthum, MELAMPODIUM divaricatum
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
87
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Sandy areas, Well Drained
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 6
12-3
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.96 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.48 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown
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
Ovate
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sandy
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in early spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
slow-release fertilizers
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
Butterflies
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
allergic reaction, Avoid during Pregnancy
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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
Flowers, Seeds
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
Bonsai, Container
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
MELAMPODIUM divaricatum 'Showstar'
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Butter Daisy
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Butterdaisy Plant
Chayote
In German
Butterdaisy Pflanze
Chayote
In French
Butterdaisy Plante
Chayote
In Spanish
Planta Butterdaisy
Chayote
In Greek
Butterdaisy φυτών
Chayote
In Portuguese
Butterdaisy Planta
chuchu
In Polish
Butterdaisy roślin
Chayote
In Latin
Planta Butterdaisy
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Violales
Family
Asteraceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Melampodium
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Campanuliden, Dicotyledonous
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Millerieae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Asteroideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
425
1
27800
👆🏻