Life Span
Annual or Biennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Europe, Northern Africa, Asia
Mexico, Central America
Types
Pascal, Golden Self-Blanching, Tall Utah, Tango
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
1007
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Marshy ground, Wet ground
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-3
12-3
Sunset Zone
-
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan, Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove shoots
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria, Downy mildew, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Mosaic viruses, Pink Root, Red blotch
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Frost
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects, Mice, Rodents, Spider Mites
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Irritation to stomach
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Improve skin condition, Moisturizing, Skin Problems
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Combats Stress, Eye Problems, High blood pressure, High cholestrol, Indigestion, Inflammation, Weight loss
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties, Used as a spice
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
APIUM graveolens
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Celery
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
अजवायन
Chayote
In German
Sellerie
Chayote
In French
Céleri
Chayote
In Spanish
Apio
Chayote
In Greek
Σέλινο
Chayote
In Portuguese
Aipo
chuchu
In Polish
Seler
Chayote
In Latin
apium
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Apiales
Violales
Family
Apiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Apium
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Apieae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Apioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
15
1
27800
👆🏻