Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Central America
North America
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Water elm
Number of Varieties
735
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Floodplains, Hillside, stream banks, Swamps, Upland
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-153-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Light Yellow
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Oblique base
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Cold climate, Drought, Pollution, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Ample Water
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead branches, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove hanging branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize every year, fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Bark beetles, Beetles, Borers, Mites, Moth, Red blotch, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
allergic reaction, Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Absorbs greenhouse gases, Absorbs huge amounts of CO2, Air purification, Food for birds, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Antispasmodic, Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Bark, Stem, Tree trunks, Wood
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as firewood, Used for woodware, Used in biomass, Used in construction, Used in Furniture, Used in paper industry, Used in pulpwood and lumber production, Wood is used for making furniture, Wood is used for ship building, Wood is used fore making tools, Wood is used in construction, Wood log is used in making fences
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
ULMUS americana
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
American Elm
In Hindi
Chayote
अमेरिकी एल्म
In German
Chayote
amerikanische Ulme
In French
Chayote
orme d'Amérique
In Spanish
Chayote
olmo americano
In Greek
Chayote
American Elm
In Portuguese
chuchu
olmo americano
In Polish
Chayote
Amerykański wiązu
In Latin
chayote
Latin ulmo
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Rosales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Ulmaceae
Genus
Sechium
Ulmus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
540
1
27800
👆🏻