Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Northwestern United States, Canada
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Sechium edule, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
Number of Varieties
67
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland, Moist Soils, Swamps
Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-710-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-3
Sunset Zone
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Pyramidal
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,520.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow
Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sienna
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Scale-like imbricate
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Dry Conditions
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Hardwood Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, vegetative cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of moisture in the growing season, when new, water every week
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
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
Armillaria root rot, Bark beetles
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
Asthma, contact allergic dermatitis, Urticaria
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Bronchitis, Cold, Cough, Fever, Sore throat
Acne, Anti-oxidant, constipation, Thyroid problems
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Inner Bark, Leaves, Wood
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Dugout canoes, Making deodorants, Medicinal oil, Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods, Used as an insecticide, Used to make baskets
Culinary use, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening / Wind Break
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
THUJA plicata
SECHIUM edule
Common Name
Giant Arborvitae, Green Giant Arborvitae, Western Arborvitae, Western Red Cedar
Chayote, Choko, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, pipinola
In Hindi
Pacific redcedar
Chayote
In German
Riesen-Lebensbaum
Chayote
In French
Thuja plicata
Chayote
In Spanish
Thuja plicata
Chayote
In Greek
Thuja plicata
Chayote
In Portuguese
Thuja plicata
chuchu
In Polish
Żywotnik olbrzymi
Chayote
In Latin
Thuja plicata
chayote
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Pinophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Pinopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Pinales
Violales
Family
Cupressaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Thuja
Sechium
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Sicyeae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
155
1
27800
👆🏻