Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa, South Africa
Mexico, Central America
Types
Lithops karasmontana
Lithops pseudotruncatella
Lithops fulviceps
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
37
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Barren waste areas, Desert, Dry areas
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-3
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Rosette/Stemless
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
250.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
2.50 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Pink, Lavender
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
-
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
root cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Drought Tolerant, Needs very little water
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Do not prune during shooting season
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
can go long without fertilizers, Does not require fertilizer once established
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Rocky Soil, Sun
Dry Conditions
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Farmland
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
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Conophytum
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
knopies
cone plants
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Living Stone
Chayote
In German
lebendigen Stein
Chayote
In French
Living Stone
Chayote
In Spanish
Piedra viva
Chayote
In Greek
Living Stone
Chayote
In Portuguese
pedra viva
chuchu
In Polish
pedra viva
Chayote
In Latin
vivus lapis,
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Violales
Family
Aizoaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Lithops
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ruschiae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Ruschioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1205
1
27800
👆🏻