Edible Landscape: Tree squash, its seed and roots all edible for growers

By Randy Hobson

Guest columnist

After moving from Kentucky to Florida in the summer of 1983, I was shopping at the Homosassa Springs Kash n’ Karry and met a fellow shopper who talked about his sugar cane and other unusual crops. My imagination ignited, I arranged for a visit.

When touring the property, we came to a tree with a vigorous vine growing among its branches and green pear-shaped fruits hanging throughout. My host retrieved a fruit and proceeded to slice it up, feeding the slices to his hungry chickens. I’ll never forget my first introduction to chayote squash.

Chayote (Sechium edule) is a member of the squash, cucumber and gourd family. Chayote (pronounced chy-O-tay) is native to Central America and was a staple crop of the Aztecs and Mayans. Known by many names throughout the world such as christophene, cho-cho, mirliton, pear squash, vegetable pear, chayote is a tender perennial with large cucumber-like leaves. Emerging from edible tuber-like roots, the vigorous vine is a wonder to behold.

Watching the vines climb a tree during the growing season is a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk experience!

The fruits produced can weigh 2 to 3 pounds, but usually are between 1/2 and 1 pound. The pear-shaped fruits can be prickly, but usually the smooth variety is grown in Florida. Unlike squash and cucumbers, chayote contains only one seed, which is edible with a distinct nut-like flavor.

Chayotes may be grown from fruit available in grocery stores. Once your vines produce, you’ll have plenty for subsequent planting.

For storage purposes and to delay sprouting, chayote can be wrapped in newspaper and stored around 50 degrees in a high-humidity environment. If the fruits are kept under warm conditions, they will sprout rapidly. The chayote I’m observing as I write illustrates the sprout emerges from the broad end of the fruit which resembles the sewed mouth of a Cabbage Patch doll.

Chayote fruit are susceptible to rot during sprouting, so I start plants in individual 3-gallon containers of soil. Once the danger of frost has passed, I transplant them to 15-gallon containers, with holes in the bottom, under trees with low branches they can climb onto. One note of caution: Choose trees outside high-traffic areas so no one has their “bell rung” by a dropping chayote!

Chayotes are short-day plants and need at least four weeks of 12-hour or shorter days to begin producing fruits. Fruits are produced well into the fall.

This year, with the first frosts coming after New Year, was ideal. I’ve grown a bumper crop. Years with early frosts can result in no crop at all. Fruits grown on a trellis would be easier to pick and easier to cover for frost protection.

Chayotes are a bonanza of edible possibilities. Though I’ve never tried them, the roots are edible and can be prepared like yams. The tender shoots and leaves are cooked as a vegetable and added to stir-fry. In Taiwan, the local name for these shoots translates to “dragon-whisker vegetable.”

According to Mary King (who writes a column called “Florida Food Fare” available on the University of Florida-IFAS website), “Chayote is very low in calories, fat and sodium, has no cholesterol and is a good source of fiber, vitamin C and potassium.”

She goes on to include a number of mouth-watering recipes for chayote.

Amazingly, chayotes have the texture of a crisp apple. I like to peel and cook the squash, drain and add butter and celery salt. My grandson and I like to peel the fruit, slice them and dip them ranch dressing.

Why not give Jack a run for his money and grow your own tree squash? Happy landscaping and happy eating.

Randy Hobson, a licensed landscaper and plant enthusiast, can be reached at 352-613-0542.