Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Mexico, Central America
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Canada
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Red chokeberry, Purple chokeberry
Number of Varieties
73
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Anthropogenic, Boggy areas, Cliffs, Fens, Swamps, Terrestrial, Wet lands, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-153-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm182.88 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Purplish-black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Cuttings, Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove diseased branches by the tool's blades dipped into the alcohol solution
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
10-10-10, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
-
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
Anaphylaxis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for birds, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
anti-cancer, Antioxidants, Cold
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Fruits
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Pectin
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
ARONIA melanocarpa
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Black Chokeberry
In Hindi
Chayote
Black Chokeberry Shrub
In German
Chayote
Schwarz Aronia Strauch
In French
Chayote
Noir Chokeberry Arbuste
In Spanish
Chayote
Chokeberry negro Arbusto
In Greek
Chayote
Μαύρο Chokeberry θάμνων
In Portuguese
chuchu
Chokeberry preto Arbusto
In Polish
Chayote
Krzew aronii
In Latin
chayote
Lichen Frutex
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Rosales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Sechium
Aronia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Sicyeae
Maleae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Amygdaloideae
Number of Species
53
1
27800
👆🏻