Life Span
Perennial
Annual or Biennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Mexico, Central America
South America, Micronesia, New Zealand
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Silver pampas grass, Uruguayan pampas grass, Purple pampas grass
Number of Varieties
725
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Lawn
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-157-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
11 - 7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm304.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Pink, Violet, White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Long and slender with very sharp edges
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
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Summer, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Needs watering once a week, Reduce water once established, Water more frequently during periods of extreme drought
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
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
Prune in late winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought, Salt
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Birds, Rats, Snakes
Allergy
-
Itchiness, Skin cuts
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Fibre, Food for animals, Used in paper industry
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
CORTADERIA
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Pampas Grass
In Hindi
Chayote
Pampas grass
In German
Chayote
Pampasgrass
In French
Chayote
herbe de la pampa
In Spanish
Chayote
cortaderas
In Greek
Chayote
γρασίδι Πάμπα
In Portuguese
chuchu
grama de Pampas
In Polish
Chayote
Pampas trawy
In Latin
chayote
Pampas herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Poales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Sechium
Cortaderia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Danthonieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Danthonioideae
Number of Species
525
1
27800
👆🏻