Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
7007
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-5
12-3
Sunset Zone
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic
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 in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Dry Conditions
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
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
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
Skin inflammation
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
हीथ
Chayote
In German
Heidekraut
Chayote
In French
bruyère
Chayote
In Spanish
brezo
Chayote
In Greek
ερείκη
Chayote
In Portuguese
urze
chuchu
In Polish
wrzos
Chayote
In Latin
Heather
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Violales
Family
Ericaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Calluna
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ericeae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Ericoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
8605
1
27800
👆🏻