Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Canada
Mexico, Central America
Types
Evergreen Conifer
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
307
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mountains, subtropical regions
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-710-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-1
12-3
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Pyramidal
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Grafting
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Canker, Needle rust, Scale
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry Conditions
Flowers
Insignificant
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, Flying insects, Hummingbirds
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes, Used as Christmas tree
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Inner Bark, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Paper pulp, Wood is used in construction
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall, Screening, Wind Break
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PICEA glauca var. albertiana 'Conica'
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Chayote
In German
Dwarf Alberta Fichte
Chayote
In French
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Chayote
In Spanish
Enano Alberta Spruce
Chayote
In Greek
Νάνος Αλμπέρτα Spruce
Chayote
In Portuguese
Anão Alberta Spruce
chuchu
In Polish
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Chayote
In Latin
Spruce Alberta Nane
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Coniferophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Pinopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Pinales
Violales
Family
Pinaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Picea
Sechium
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Piceoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
355
1
27800
👆🏻