Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Selenicereus grandiflorus
Number of Varieties
730
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Desert
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
H2
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Olive, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Long and slender with very sharp edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
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
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Aphids, Mealybugs, Root rot, Scale, Viruses
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
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
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Diabetes, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
Peniocereus greggii
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Night Blooming Cereus, Reina de la noche, Arizona queen of the night
In Hindi
Chayote
Night Blooming Cereus
In German
Chayote
Nachtblühende Cereus
In French
Chayote
Night Blooming Cereus
In Spanish
Chayote
Reina de la noche
In Greek
Chayote
Night Blooming Cereus
In Portuguese
chuchu
Night Blooming Cereus
In Polish
Chayote
Noc Blooming Cereus
In Latin
chayote
Maria Maria Cereus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Sechium
Peniocereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Pachycereeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
518
1
27800
👆🏻