Lance Hill

Chayote were quite popular in England at the end of the 19th Century. They were primarily imported from Madeira.  They can be grown to fruition in cooler climates by forcing early flowering or with a makeshift greenhouse.  The trick is to give the plant 120 days to flower and fruit before a frost. On early flowering see: https://www.mirliton.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ForcingEarlyFloweringMirlitons.pdf

Squash leaves are all edible; it just depends on your tastes.  Chayote leaves and tendrils are eaten in stir fries.  The leaves are usually the most nutritious  part of the plant.  See international recipes for chayote at https://www.mirliton.org/international-mirliton-chayote-recipes/

Plant viruses are carried by the sap and seed of the plant.  An insect feeding on the leaves of an infected plant can spread it to other plants.  This is how Chayote Mosaic Virus (CMV) is spread.  

I admire your interest in growing chayote (mirlitons in Louisiana). It is unlikely that you will get the chayote sold as produce to flower and fruit.  The USDA tried that over a century ago in Florida and concluded that high-altitude varieties don't grow well at or about sea level.  All chayote that you find in grocery stores and markets in the U.S. are imported and most are high altitude varieties. They all will sprout and send up a vine but fail to flower and fruit. They also may introduce new chayote diseases.  The good news is that we have identified a tried and true heirloom U.S. variety that has grown here for almost two centuries.  You can read about the history of chayote in the U.S. and connect with Louisiana heirloom mirliton growers and see sellers at www.mirliton.org.  You can obtain viable seed and plants there.

That's a good practice to use local varieties which have been developed in Hawaii for more than two centuries.  That prevents introducing new diseases.  Chayote was popular with Europeans living in hot climates because it was an acceptable substitute for apples.   On our International Recipe Page https://www.mirliton.org/international-mirliton-chayote-recipes/ there is a recipe for Jamaican cho-cho pie that uses lime, allspice, and cloves that produces a wonderful flavor apart from traditional apple pie. Hawaii would be excellent place to grow chayote since the climate is cool enough to avoid many plant diseases that beset us in Louisiana. Please keep me posted on your experiments with varieties and I always appreciate photos of your local crop. I'm at lance@mirliton.org

That Chayote Mosaica is not a problem in North America is because no one is planting grocery store produce as chayote seed.  Please help protect our North American landraces (in Louisiana and California) by only planting varieties historically grown here. We have to accept the fact that we have no right to grow any plant in the world.  

In general, even if you plant imported chayote, you won't get any fruit.

All chayote that you purchase at grocery stores or markets are imported and grown mostly in high altitude regions.  All imported chayote will sprout, grow roots and send up a vine. Almost none will fruit in North America.  Worse yet, by planting produce as a garden vegetable, you risk introducing deadly plant diseases  such as mosaic virus.  Imported produce is not tested for plant disease since the USDA assumes that it will be consumed, not planted. I can only suggest that you wait until a seed provider of our heirloom mirliton (chayote) variety can be mailed to you, which will be soon.   Please read our article "The History of Chayote (mirliton) in North America" on the problems of imported chayote.

Chayote (Mirlitons) have been used medicinally for centuries and rich  antioxidants. They can be grown in the desert if you find a variety grown in Sonora or Sinaloa and have adequate water.  See mirliton growing techniques at www.Mirliton.Org