Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Ornamental Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Eastern Europe, Western Asia
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Kochia Indica, Neokochia californica
Number of Varieties
7140
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
gardens, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-153-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Gray Green, Burgundy, Crimson
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Stem Cutting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
occasional watering once established, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Loamy, Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Aphids, Mosquito
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
Allergy
-
Eye irritation, Respiratory problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Beautification, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
For treating wrinkles, Making cosmetics, Removes dandruff, Skin cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Diabetes, Hypotensive, Obesity
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Cattle Fodder, Sauces, Traditional medicine, Used for fragrance, Wood log is used in making fences
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Groundcover
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
BASSIA scoparia
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Burningbush, Kochia
In Hindi
Chayote
Bassia scoparia
In German
Chayote
Besen-Radmelde
In French
Chayote
Bassia scoparia
In Spanish
Chayote
Kochia scoparia
In Greek
Chayote
Bassia scoparia
In Portuguese
chuchu
Bassia scoparia
In Polish
Chayote
Mietelnik żakula
In Latin
chayote
Bassia scoparia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Sechium
Bassia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Camphorosmoideae
Number of Species
54
1
27800
👆🏻