Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Sedge or Rush
Vegetable
Origin
World/Pandemic
Mexico, Central America
Types
Papyrus
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
157
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland, Wet lands
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-3
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Spreading
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green, Brown
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Poorly Drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Bulbs, Divison, Rhizome division, Tubers
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Keep ground moist, Keep the Soil well drained
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
Poorly Drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
can go long without fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Flying insects
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Itchiness, Skin rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bog Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
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
Container, Decoration Purposes, Florist trade and landscaping, Used as Ornamental plant
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Tropical, Water Gardens
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Cyperus papyrus
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Dwarf papyrus, Miniature papyrus
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
dwarf papyrus
Chayote
In German
Zwerg Papyrus
Chayote
In French
papyrus nain
Chayote
In Spanish
papiro enano
Chayote
In Greek
νάνος πάπυρο
Chayote
In Portuguese
papiro anão
chuchu
In Polish
krasnolud papirus
Chayote
In Latin
P. papyrus
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Violales
Family
Cyperaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cyperus
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Sicyeae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
7005
1
27800
👆🏻