Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Asia, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea
Mexico, Central America
Types
Apricot Gold, Butter Yellow, Orange Supreme, Dan
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
307
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Woodland Garden Canopy
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12-3
Sunset Zone
21,22
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Orange
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Blue, Black
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval, Finely Dentate
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Fall, Fall
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Semi-hardwood cuttings
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
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, Neutral
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 no more than one-third of each branch
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-purpose dry fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Nematodes
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin and hair
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antitussive
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Flowers, Fruits, Stem
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Used as essential oil, Used as insect repellent, Used in herbal medicines, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
OSMANTHUS fragrans
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Sweet olive, Sweet osmanthus, Tea olive
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Sweet Olive
Chayote
In German
Sweet Olive
Chayote
In French
Olive douce
Chayote
In Spanish
Oliva dulce
Chayote
In Greek
γλυκό Ελιά
Chayote
In Portuguese
Olive doce
chuchu
In Polish
słodki Olive
Chayote
In Latin
Dulce Olive
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Violales
Family
Oleaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Osmanthus
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Oleeae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
155
1
27800
👆🏻