Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fruit, Palm or Cycad, Tree
Origin
Mexico, Central America
-
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Cocos nucifera
Number of Varieties
715
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Humid climates, sandy seeps, shores, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-155-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H2
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm2,900.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm700.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Yellow Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Golden Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
All year
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Acidic, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Reduce watering during fall, Water daily during growing season, Water frequently while growing
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Acidic, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut limbs, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Bud rot, Cadang-cadang, Coconut bug, Coconut foliar decay, Coconut scale, Ganoderma butt rot, Gray leaf blight, Lethal bole rot, Lethal yellowing, Mealybugs, nutfall, Red ring nematode, Stem bleeding disease
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Salt
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
Abdominal pain, Anaphylaxis, cramps, Mouth itching, Nasal Congestion, Nausea, Runny nose, Skin irritation, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Good for skin, Good for the Scalp, Hair Conditioner, Heals Damaged Hair, Makes Hair Silkier, Making cosmetics, Removes dandruff, Restores Hair Colour
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Antibacterial, anti-cancer, Antifungal, Antioxidants, Antiviral, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Immunity, Skin Disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Whole plant
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Air freshner, Animal Feed, Application in Furniture, Application in Handicrafts, For making oil for cosmetics, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Traditional medicine, Used as a nutritious food item, Used as a vegetable oil
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit Tree, Landscape, Tropical
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
Cocos nucifera
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Coconut Palm, coconut tree
In Hindi
Chayote
नारियल का पेड़
In German
Chayote
Kokospalme
In French
Chayote
Cocotier
In Spanish
Chayote
El cocotero
In Greek
Chayote
καρύδας δέντρο
In Portuguese
chuchu
Coqueiro
In Polish
Chayote
Drzewo kokosowe
In Latin
chayote
dolor ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Arecales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Aceraceae
Genus
Sechium
Cocos
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Cocoeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Arecoideae
Number of Species
515
1
27800
👆🏻