Contextualisation: the pile is a promising fruit of high demand on the markets, due to its excellent organoleptic properties, as well as being an important source of vitamins and minerals. Knowledge gap: over the last ten years, multiple research has been carried out into the ecophysiology of the pile plant, without a literature review. Purpose of the study: collect general aspects of the crop, including the main agronomic requirements and ecophysiological aspects for sustainable production. Methodology: the research was based on an orderly and methodical review of the most relevant studies published in different databases. Findings and conclusions: pile cultivation is grown between 1900 and 2200 msnm in Colombia, with temperatures of 15 to 24 °C. It requires between 1.500 and 2.500 mm of precipitation per year. It resembles a short day plant, showing its best development on shaded sites with relative humidity of around 80 %. The most efficient method of pollination is that carried out by bumble bees (Bombus terrestris and Bombus sp.) by vibration. The net photosynthesis of the flame culture varia from 5,52 to 34.03 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 at 398 and 460 days after transplantation; while the maximum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) in the crop ranges from 0,55 to 0,65, for plants without and with foliar nitrogen application. Chlorophyll values (a, b and total) for pile plants are higher in transplantation plants than in production, due to the small photosynthetic area. Nitrogen concentrations greater than 110 mg L-1 generate better yield and larger foliar area. The pile plant begins production between eight and 12 months after it is transplanted and produces an average yield of 8.5 t ha-1. The development and growth of lulo fruit has a behaviour that follows a simple sigmoid logistic model. Lulo fruit in the harvest can reach up to 209 g with a firmness of 58 N and values of 13.6° Brix and 56,2, 10,8 and 46,8 for the parameters of light colour (L *), chromaticity at * and chromaticity b * respectively.