Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Saccharum officinarum
Number of Varieties
736
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside
agricultural areas, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
12 - 9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Green
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
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very 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
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions
Wet Site, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Water Deeply
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune ocassionally, Remove dead branches, Remove Ferns
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Equal amount of N,P,K, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Beetles, Fusarium root rot, Head smut
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions
Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Diabetes, Sleepiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Aging, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Appetite enhancer, Diuretic, Fatigue, Muscle Pain, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Leaf Stalks, Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Animal Feed, Biomass for fuel, Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Sometimes used for making wine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Feature Plant, Tropical
Botanical Name
SECHIUM edule
SACCHARUM officinarum
Common Name
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
Sugarcane
In Hindi
Chayote
गन्ना
In German
Chayote
Saccharum
In French
Chayote
Canne à sucre
In Spanish
Chayote
Saccharum
In Greek
Chayote
Saccharum
In Portuguese
chuchu
Cana-de-açúcar
In Polish
Chayote
Saccharum
In Latin
chayote
Saccharum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Cyperales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Sechium
Saccharum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Sicyeae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
536
1
27800
👆🏻