Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Africa, Southern Africa
Mexico, Central America
Types
Robusta blue, Robusta green, Curvula
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
207
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-1310-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 10
12-3
Sunset Zone
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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Gray, Lavender
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Gray Green, Silver
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Bronze
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Yellow, Dark Green, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
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, Alkaline
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
Cut back old stems to the ground
Remove damaged fruit, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
conjunctivitis, Pollen
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Showy Purposes
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Used as a grain, Used to make baskets, brooms, hats
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ERAGROSTIS curvula
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Weeping Lovegrass
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Weeping Lovegrass
Chayote
In German
Weinend lovegrass
Chayote
In French
Weeping lovegrass
Chayote
In Spanish
Pasto llorón
Chayote
In Greek
κλάμα Lovegrass
Chayote
In Portuguese
chorando lovegrass
chuchu
In Polish
Płacząca Lovegrass
Chayote
In Latin
Plorans Lovegrass
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Violales
Family
Poaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Eragrostis
Sechium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Eragrostideae
Sicyeae
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
105
1
27800
👆🏻