Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Western United States
Mexico, Central America
Types
Blue Spruce
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
207
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas, stream banks, Woodland Garden Canopy
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-1
12-3
Sunset Zone
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Pyramidal
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green, Steel Blue
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green, Steel Blue
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green, Steel Blue
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Blue Green, Steel Blue
-
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
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
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?
Grafting, Seedlings, Semi-ripe cuttings
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, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
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
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, 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 pungens 'Baby Blue Eyes'
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Dwarf Blue Spruce
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Dwarf Blue Spruce
Chayote
In German
Dwarf Blue Spruce
Chayote
In French
Dwarf Blue Spruce
Chayote
In Spanish
Enano Blue Spruce
Chayote
In Greek
Νάνος Blue Spruce
Chayote
In Portuguese
Anão Blue Spruce
chuchu
In Polish
Dwarf Blue Spruce
Chayote
In Latin
Blue dwarf Spruce
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
👆🏻