Chayote: The Mesoamerican Vine Squash That Acts Like a Fruit
Chayote is botanically a squash but eaten and grown like a fruit — a vigorous Mesoamerican vine that produces year-round in mild climates.
Chayote (Sechium edule) is a pale green pear-shaped fruit from a vigorous Mesoamerican vine. Botanically it is a cucurbit (squash family) but is grown and used so much like a fruit-vegetable hybrid that it earns inclusion here. Native to southern Mexico and Central America, the fruit was domesticated by the Maya and Aztec.
Origin and history
Native to southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Cultivated by Mesoamerican civilizations for at least 2,000 years. Spread globally through Spanish colonial trade routes in the 1500s. Now naturalized as a kitchen-garden vine across the tropics and subtropics.
Where it grows today
Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Australia, and parts of the southern United States produce chayote commercially.
How to grow
USDA Zones 9-11 perennial; annual in cooler climates. Plant the whole sprouted fruit, slightly tilted. Vigorous climbing vine needing strong support. First fruit in 4-5 months.
Bottom line
One of the most productive food plants in the garden — a single vine can produce 30-50 fruits per season. Mild flavor takes on any seasoning.