Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southeastern United States
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Aesculus parviflora
Number of Varieties
72
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Bluffs, Coastal Regions, Stream side, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-155-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Lemon yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Palmate
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Salt, Wind
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep the Soil well drained, 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, Sand
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Edema, Powdery mildew, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Salt, Wind
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Antirheumatic, Colic, constipation, Piles
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used for making soaps
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
AESCULUS parviflora
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
bottlebrush buckeye, dwarf horse chestnut
In Hindi
Chayote
Bottlebrush Buckeye
In German
Chayote
Buckeye Putzer
In French
Chayote
Bottlebrush Buckeye
In Spanish
Chayote
bottlebrush Buckeye
In Greek
Chayote
bottlebrush Buckeye
In Portuguese
chuchu
Bottlebrush Buckeye
In Polish
Chayote
Bottlebrush Buckeye
In Latin
chayote
bottlebrush Buckeye
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Sapindales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Hippocastanaceae
Genus
Sechium
Aesculus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Hippocastanoideae
Number of Species
519
1
27800
👆🏻