Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Vegetable
Origin
South Africa
Mexico, Central America
Types
Ipomoea quamoclit
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
107
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, subtropical regions
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1010-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
12-3
Sunset Zone
21,22
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Mat-forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
7.60 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
7.60 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Magenta
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long, Alternate
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs good drainage, Needs high amount of 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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, High-phosphorous fertilizers used
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ornamental use, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Purgative
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Ipomoea quamoclit
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
star glory , hummingbird vine
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Kunjlata
Chayote
In German
Ipomoea quamoclit
Chayote
In French
Ipomoea quamoclit
Chayote
In Spanish
Ipomoea quamoclit
Chayote
In Greek
Ipomoea quamoclit
Chayote
In Portuguese
Ipomoea quamoclit
chuchu
In Polish
Ipomoea quamoclit
Chayote
In Latin
Ipomoea quamoclit
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Violales
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ipomoea
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ipomoeeae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
255
1
27800
👆🏻