Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Mexico, Central America
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
-
Number of Varieties
72
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Vining/Climbing
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm10.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Ivory, White
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
-
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Average Water Needs
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount, Fertilzer with low nitrogen content
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Mealybugs
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Flowers
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
Hatiora salicornioides
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
dancing bones cactus, drunkard's dream, spice cactus
In Hindi
Chayote
Hatiora
In German
Chayote
Hatiora
In French
Chayote
Hatiora
In Spanish
Chayote
Hatiora
In Greek
Chayote
Hatiora
In Portuguese
chuchu
Hatiora
In Polish
Chayote
hatiora
In Latin
chayote
Hatiora
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Sechium
Hatiora
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Rhipsalideae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
53
1
27800
👆🏻