Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Africa
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Pennisetum glaucum
Number of Varieties
77
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-158-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12 - 8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown, Cream
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
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
Requires regular watering
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
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
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
Chayote
purple millet
In German
Chayote
purple millet
In French
Chayote
millet pourpre
In Spanish
Chayote
purple millet
In Greek
Chayote
purple millet
In Portuguese
chuchu
purple millet
In Polish
Chayote
purple millet
In Latin
chayote
purple millet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Cyperales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Sechium
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
51
1
27800
👆🏻