Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fruit
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Russia/Siberia, Southern Asia, Western Asia
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
fuji, jonathan apple
Number of Varieties
725
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Cold Regions, gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-155-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Yellow, Red, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Oval Cordate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Do not let dry out between waterings, Never Over-water, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather
In Summer
Lots of watering
Alternate Days
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
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
Prune central stem, Remove lateral branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 10-10-10 amount, fertilize in growing season, Fertilize the soil before planting
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Bacterial Blight, Bacterial Canker, Leaf rust, Red blotch, Ring Rot, Woodpecker feeding
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Rocky Soil, Shade areas
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Insects
Allergy
-
Peripheral Edema, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve skin tone, Moisturizing, Stops hair loss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Shadow Tree, soil stabilisation, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anemia, constipation, Gastrointestinal disorders, Hair Loss, Parkinson
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Fruits
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Acts as a natural source of rain water for birds and insects., Cosmetics, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
MALUS domestica 'Gala'
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Apple, Eating Apple, Gala Apple
In Hindi
Chayote
सेब
In German
Chayote
Gala Apfel
In French
Chayote
Gala
In Spanish
Chayote
Gala
In Greek
Chayote
Gala
In Portuguese
chuchu
Gala
In Polish
Chayote
Gala
In Latin
chayote
Gala
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Rosales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Sechium
Malus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Dicotyledonous, Rosids
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
525
1
27800
👆🏻