Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Asia, Europe
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Blue & Purple Rain viola, Bowles' Black pansy, Fizzy Lemonberry pansy, Karma Yellow pansy
Number of Varieties
7150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Fields, gardens, meadows, rocky outcrops, wastelands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-154-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
9-1
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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm1.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm0.75 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Blue, Orange, Pink, Red, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Rich, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Fall, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
It cannot sustain wet-feet, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Use and maintain water-efficient soaker hoses
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Rich, Well drained
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
Cut or pinch the stems, Prune after flowering, Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Aphids, Crown rot, Downy mildew, Gray mold, Mosaic viruses, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Slugs, Snails, Spot anthracnose
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Asthma, epilepsy, Heart problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
Viola tricolor var. hortensis
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Pansy
In Hindi
Chayote
स्रीवत
In German
Chayote
Stiefmütterchen
In French
Chayote
Pensée
In Spanish
Chayote
Pensamiento
In Greek
Chayote
πανσές
In Portuguese
chuchu
amor-perfeito
In Polish
Chayote
Bratek
In Latin
chayote
Cinaede fill
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Anthophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Malpighiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Violaceae
Genus
Sechium
Viola
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
Sicyeae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5300
1
27800
👆🏻