Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
-
Mexico, Central America
Types
Abbotswood potentilla, Daydawn potentilla, Klondike potentilla
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
257
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Clay soil areas, Rocky areas, Wet ground
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-1
12-3
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
-
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
91.44 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
91.44 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Yellow
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Small elliptic
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Early Fall, Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
Well drained
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Slightly Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Summer
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Stem Planting
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs watering once a week, Water less during winter, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
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
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in early spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry Conditions
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin cleanser, Skin Problems
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibiotic, Astringent, Diarrhea, Haemostatic, Hypoglycaemic, Mildly painful menstruation, Odontalgic, Premenstrual syndrome, Swelling
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Showy Purposes, Used as a dye
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
POTENTILLA
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Potentilla
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Potentilla plant
Chayote
In German
Potentilla Pflanze
Chayote
In French
plante Potentilla
Chayote
In Spanish
planta Potentilla
Chayote
In Greek
φυτό potentilla
Chayote
In Portuguese
planta Potentilla
chuchu
In Polish
Potentilla roślin
Chayote
In Latin
Potentilla herba
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rosales
Violales
Family
Rosaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Potentilla
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Rosoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
3005
1
27800
👆🏻