Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Oriental spruce, Bog spruce, Weeping spruce
Number of Varieties
78
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Moist Soils, Slopes, Swamps, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-151-6
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
6-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm3,000.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Sea Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Blue Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Cuttings, 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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Pinch Tips, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought
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
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Birds
Allergy
-
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
anti-inflammatory, Disinfectant, Kidney problems, Odontalgic, Poultice, Salve, Stomachic, tuberculosis, Vulnerary
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Flowers, Inner Bark, Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Disinfectant, Gum, Paper pulp, Pitch, String, Used as a dye, Used in paper industry, Waterproofing
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
PICEA mariana
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce
In Hindi
Chayote
Black Spruce Tree
In German
Chayote
Schwarz Fichte
In French
Chayote
Noir Épicéa
In Spanish
Chayote
Negro árbol de abeto
In Greek
Chayote
Μαύρο Spruce Tree
In Portuguese
chuchu
Árvore Spruce Preto
In Polish
Chayote
Czarny Świerk Drzewo
In Latin
chayote
Niger abiegnis
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Coniferophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Pinopsida
Order
Violales
Pinales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Pinaceae
Genus
Sechium
Picea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Pinoideae
Number of Species
535
1
27800
👆🏻