Common Name: Chayote

General Information

Chayote is a vigorous, perennial, climbing plant producing annual stems that can be 9 - 30 metres long from a large, perennial tuberous rootstock. The stems scramble over the ground or grow into other plants, supporting themselves by means of tendrils. In areas where it is well-suited, it grows well as a perennial, though it is best grown as an annual in wetter areas[].
Chayote has been cultivated as a food crop for several hundred years, probably since before the Europeans went to S. America. It has become a very popular food in many parts of the tropics and subtropics, where it is widely cultivated, and also supplies medicines and is a source of fibre[, ]. Hats made from the fibres used to be traded internationally from Réunion[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

C. America - Guatemala, southern Mexico.

Habitat

Moist, steep hillsides[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	12.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects, Parthenocarpic
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Chayote is a plant of the tropics and subtropics, it can also be grown as an annual crop in areas of the temperate zone that can offer a growing season of at least 6 months[]. It can be grown at elevations up to 2,000 metres in the tropics, yielding better crops above 500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 19 - 30°c, but can tolerate 12 - 40°c[]. Higher yields are achieved when there is a reasonable drop in temperatures over night[]. Temperatures below 13°c cause damage to small unripe fruits, and the plant is killed by frosts[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 600 - 2,600mm[].
The plant generally grows well in full sun, but some cultivars produce higher yields when grown in light shade[]. It grows best in a sheltered position in a well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil[, , ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.3 - 8[].
Chayote is a long-lived perennial plant, but in cultivation it is recommended to renew it at least every 3 years because of disease problems[[].
Plants can begin to produce a crop of immature fruits within 3 - 4 months from sowing the seed[, ] and then continue producing for a considerable time[]. Individual plants grown on their own usually set a good crop of fruit[]. Mature fruits can be produced 120 - 180 days after sowing the seed[].
The tubers do not develop until the second year, and do not develop well in climates without a dry season. In regions with a season of arrested growth, they can reach 10 kilos in weight and resemble yam tubers[].
Yields of up to 60 tonnes per hectare of mature fruits can been obtained[]. A plant can produce 80 - 100 fruits a year plus 20 - 25 kilos of roots[].
Plants are very susceptible to pests and diseases in wet climates[].
The seed germinates in the ripe fruit whilst still on the mother plant. The stem of the seedling grows out from the fruit apex and curves upwards. It produces roots which abort if they do not make contact with soil[].
The are many named varieties[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. The fruits can vary in flavour, from bland or starchy to sweetish, depending on the cultivar[]. They can be boiled or baked as a vegetable[]. They can be mixed with lime juice and used as a substitute for apples in pies[]. Fruits of bland cultivars are used industrially as food fillers for pastes and sauces[]. Because of their low energy value, the fruits are gaining importance as a dietary food in hospitals and nursing homes, and are also considered good baby food[]. The fruit is normally used when immature and before the seed has enlarged[, ]. The obovoid fruit is up to 18cm long[].

Seed - cooked[, ]. Nut-like in flavour[]. The mature, protruding seeds are considered by some to be the best part of this fruit[]. When deep-fried they taste remarkably like french-fried potatoes[]. The seeds are a good source of protein[].

Tuber - raw or cooked[]. They are boiled, baked, fried and candied in syrup[]. The starch-rich tuber can weigh up to 5 kilos[].

Young leaves and stem tips - cooked as a vegetable[, ]. Eaten like asparagus[]. A good source of iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin[].

Flowers[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the shredded fruit is used to lower blood pressure[].

The tubers are a potent diuretic and are also applied for pulmonary ailments and relief of intestinal inflammation[].

The leaves are said to possess cardiovascular modifying as well as blood pressure lowering properties and to
dissolve kidney stones[].

Other Uses

Fibres from the stem have been used to make baskets and hats and, as reported from Ghana, as binding material in the construction of mud houses[].

Propagation

Seed - keep the seed inside the fruit when sowing[]. A mature fruit, with the germinating seed inside, should be planted to two thirds of its length with its widest end down[].
Stem cuttings 15 - 20cm long are sometimes used[]. These should be planted in a shady position and kept moist until they have rooted[].

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