Che Fruit Has Ripened: The First Harvest of the Bumpy Pink Fruit

Identity and Origin

Che (Maclura tricuspidata, formerly Cudrania tricuspidata) is a tree in the same family as mulberry and fig (Moraceae) - native to China, spread into Korea and Japan. In English it's called 'che,' 'mandarin melonberry,' or, interestingly, 'silkworm thorn.' Young branches are thorny, with thorns fading as the wood ages; it forms a broad, spreading crown and can reach about 25 feet at maturity, occasionally more. Female trees tend to grow larger and sturdier than males.

Fruit Characteristics

The fruit is actually not a single fruit but an aggregate formed from small drupelets clustering together - much like a mulberry. It's 1-2 inches across, irregularly round, with a bumpy, warty surface that turns from red to dull maroon as it ripens, developing black specks. While still firm, its flavor is nearly nonexistent, but once fully soft-ripe it reveals a mild sweetness - most often compared to watermelon, fig, or mulberry. The interior is juicy and somewhat chewy; it may contain small, edible brown seeds (some seedless cultivars have none).

Pollination: Male and Female Trees

Che is dioecious - male and female flowers open on separate trees. Male trees never fruit; a female tree needs a nearby male to set fruit, pollinated by wind, with an effective range generally limited to a few meters. (Some seedless cultivars like 'Darrow' and 'Norris' are parthenocarpic - meaning they fruit without a male tree - but in that case it's recommended not to plant a male nearby, since pollination would turn the fruit seeded.)

The Silkworm Connection

The English name 'silkworm thorn' isn't a coincidence - historically in China, this tree's leaves were used as a mulberry substitute to feed silkworms; silk produced from worms fed on these leaves was said to be especially suited for making strings for stringed instruments. Its thorny trunk limited how widespread this use became.

How to Grow It

It wants full sun, prefers mildly acidic, sandy soil but tolerates other soil types too. It has high drought tolerance but is sensitive to standing water/flooded conditions. It's quite cold hardy (USDA zones 5-9, surviving temperatures as low as about -20C). No serious disease or pest issues have been reported, though this comes from a single source - we'll confirm with our own observations over time.

Uses

It can be eaten fresh, used in smoothies and salads, made into jam/jelly, or dried. It's also reportedly used in winemaking in China. Scientific literature documents various traditional uses of the root bark in Korean/East Asian medicine, but I'm passing this along as historical/ethnobotanical information, not as a treatment recommendation.

Observations From the Garden

Our che tree's fruit ripened this year, and we started picking and eating it - the sweet, juicy interior under that bumpy red skin was a genuinely pleasant surprise. I'd describe it as somewhere between mulberry and fig, with a character of its own. Having it be our first harvest made it extra exciting.