Chayote

Sechium edule

vegetable

Chayote is a vigorous, tendril-climbing vine of the gourd family grown for its pale-green, pear-shaped fruit, each holding a single soft, flat, edible seed. The crisp, mild flesh tastes like a cross between a cucumber and a young summer squash and is eaten raw or cooked, skin and all when young. Beyond the fruit, the tender vine tips are eaten as a green and the swollen tuberous root is edible like a potato. A single plant is enormously productive, its vines reaching 30 to 50 feet, so it is usually trained up a strong arbor or fence. It is a tender perennial in frost-free gardens - often most productive in its second and third years - and grown as a long-season annual where winters are mild.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Corn: Tall stalks share the warm-season bed and can help anchor the vigorous climbing vine
• Provider Bush Bean: A legume that fixes nitrogen for the hungry, fast-growing chayote vine
• French Marigold: Helps suppress the root-knot nematodes that attack chayote roots in sandy soil

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Rinse colonies from new growth and encourage ladybugs; treat heavy clusters with insecticidal soap

• Spider mites →

  A hot, dry-weather pest - rinse the foliage and keep the vine from drought-stressing

• Root-knot nematodes →

  Rotate planting sites, build organic matter, and interplant marigolds in sandy ground

• Powdery mildew →

  A white leaf coating in humid spells - train the vine open for airflow and avoid wetting the leaves late in the day

🌾 Harvest & storage

Each fruit is ready about 30 to 35 days after its flower is pollinated; the vine bears heavily in late summer and fall, peaking before frost. Pick chayote young and tender, when the fruit is firm and 4 to 6 inches long and the skin is still smooth, for the best texture - left on the vine it toughens and the single seed sprouts inside. Harvest the tender shoot tips anytime as a cooked green. Where the vine is perennial, the starchy roots can be dug after a few years. Fruit stores for weeks in a cool spot. The peeling sap can leave a sticky film on hands, so some cooks wear gloves or peel under running water.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Chayote is very light at about 19 calories per 100 g, with fiber, a useful dose of vitamin C, a good amount of folate (around 90 mcg), and some potassium and manganese. Mild and refreshing, it is eaten raw in slaws and salads or cooked in soups, stir-fries, and stews, where it readily takes on other flavors.