Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Vegetable
Origin
South America, Argentina
Mexico, Central America
Types
Perennial
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
357
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Temperate Regions
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-3
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
5.10 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Blue, Light Purple, Silver, Sky Blue
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
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
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
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, Partial shade
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
Slugs, Snails
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
-
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Ipheion uniflorum
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Spring Starflower, Springstar
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Spring Starflower
Chayote
In German
Frühling Borretsch
Chayote
In French
Spring Starflower
Chayote
In Spanish
primavera Flor de estrella
Chayote
In Greek
άνοιξη starflower
Chayote
In Portuguese
primavera Starflower
chuchu
In Polish
Wiosna Starflower
Chayote
In Latin
Spring Starflower
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Violales
Family
Liliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ipheion
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Gilliesieae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Allioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
505
1
27800
👆🏻