Leaf
Hervé Goëau, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Chayote
Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.
Also known as: Christophene, Mirliton, Cho-cho
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Climbing vine that can reach 6 to 10 m long
Hot climates, garden trellises and arbours in tropical and subtropical regions
Flowering: Summer – Autumn (hot climates)
Full sun
5°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The whole plant is edible: the fruit of course, but also its young shoots, its leaves and its large tuberous root.
🍃 Leaves
Large heart-shaped leaves, with 3–5 angular lobes, somewhat rough
🌸 Flowers
Small, pale yellow, unisexual flowers, inconspicuous
🍎 Fruits
Large fleshy pear-shaped fruit, generally pale green to green, about 10 to 20 cm, containing a single large flat seed.
🪵 Bark
Herbaceous climbing vine, with tendrils and able to produce very long stems.
🗺️ Distribution
Native to Mexico and Central America; cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Flowers visited by bees and various insects in hot climates.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Trellis, arbour, tropical garden; cannot be grown in the open ground in cold temperate climates, restricted to hot regions or the greenhouse.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Non-toxic; fruit edible cooked, widely eaten in tropical America, the West Indies and Réunion.
🌿 Other Cucurbitaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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