Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Asia
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
207
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
open Woodlands, Roadsides, Waste areas
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-3
Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2,540.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
2,540.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Arrowhead
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove hanging branches
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, fertilize in spring, Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Borers, Mealybugs, Scale
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry Conditions
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
-
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Good for skin and hair, Improve hair condition, Improve skin condition
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestion problems, High blood pressure, Improve heart health, Inflammation, Lung Problems, Nutrients, Oral health
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Fruit / Fruit Tree
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PRUNUS cerasifera
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Cherry Plum, Myrobalan Plum
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
चेरी प्लम
Chayote
In German
cherry Plum
Chayote
In French
Prunus
Chayote
In Spanish
cherry Plum
Chayote
In Greek
Cherry Plum
Chayote
In Portuguese
cherry Plum
chuchu
In Polish
Cherry Plum
Chayote
In Latin
cerasus PRUNUM
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rosales
Violales
Family
Rosaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Prunus
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Amygdaleae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Amygdaloideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2005
1
27800
👆🏻