Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
-
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
1207
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1210-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-3
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
35.60 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
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
Indeterminate
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
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
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry Conditions
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Mouth itching, Throat itching, Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Indoor Air Purification, Very little waste
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Rheumatism
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Rhizomes
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Leaves used for wrapping food
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Tropical
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
HOMALOMENA Wallisii
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Homalomena
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Homalomena
Chayote
In German
Homalomena
Chayote
In French
Homalomena
Chayote
In Spanish
Homalomena
Chayote
In Greek
Homalomena
Chayote
In Portuguese
homalomena
chuchu
In Polish
Homalomena
Chayote
In Latin
Homalomena
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Violales
Family
Araceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Homalomena
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Sicyeae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1225
1
27800
👆🏻