Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southern Africa, South Africa
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Lithops karasmontana
Lithops pseudotruncatella
Lithops fulviceps
Number of Varieties
73
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Barren waste areas, Desert, Dry areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1512-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm250.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm2.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White, Yellow, Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
-
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
root cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Does not require lot of watering, Drought Tolerant, Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Do not prune during shooting season
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
can go long without fertilizers, Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
-
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought, Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Rocky Soil, Sun
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
-
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Alpine, Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
Conophytum
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
knopies
cone plants
In Hindi
Chayote
Living Stone
In German
Chayote
lebendigen Stein
In French
Chayote
Living Stone
In Spanish
Chayote
Piedra viva
In Greek
Chayote
Living Stone
In Portuguese
chuchu
pedra viva
In Polish
Chayote
pedra viva
In Latin
chayote
vivus lapis,
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Aizoaceae
Genus
Sechium
Lithops
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Ruschiae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Ruschioideae
Number of Species
5120
1
27800
👆🏻