So far, still holding. Starting to change color. A lot smaller than I thought they would be.
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@Nfg831_Z6b — I have a mix of things happening with my che fruit now…
Some hanging on, some turning orangish red like yours, some still green and still hanging on and some that have dropped to the ground.
The ones that have dropped have some color to them like the ones in your pic… but they are not ripe.
I tried one the other day and still quite hard, tough.
We had a very hot and dry July… and I am sure that stressed my tree quite a bit. August has been much better.
TNHunter
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I am having a similar experience. I have three trees, all the same size, planted at the same time, and beside each other. One with orange fruit in picture, one with green fruit, and one with only a few fruit on it.
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I had one stay on and ripen. I must say, not impressed. Really wish I hadn’t planted three of them. I guess I was suckered by the Edible Landscaping video. Maybe they taste better as the tree matures…
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I keep warning people the fruit is mediocre but most people have to taste it for themselves.
No, the fruit does not taste better as the tree matures. I grew them for more than 25 years. The opposite tends to happen. The more you eat them, the less you like them.
Watch the Edible Landscaping video again. The woman in the Edible Landscaping video implied it was one of the best fruits she had ever tasted, but was only able to eat half of one small fruit.
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I’ve seen some people report that they really like the flavor, so I wonder if they are better in some soils or climates than others? Here’s what @Luisport says about his che:
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Sorry but my experience says the contrary. My only tree is grafted and old. It took a long time to fruit edible fruits, but now they are very good! I say better than most mulberrys. It’s like a juicy big, round mulberry with watermelon and strawberry sweet flavor. It is very good!
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The single most common term used to describe che fruit is ‘insipid’. That’s as good as it gets. There are always people who like anything. There are people who like pickles dipped in chocolate.
The fruit flavor does not seem to differ at all in different climates or soils. The fruit is native to China where virtually no one grows it or eats it and it is called “unwholesome”. They’ve had 1000+ years to find a good one and are still looking.
Mine were sooooo good this year… very intense strawberry fig flavor… cant wait for them to improve even more next year…
Just messing with you @castanea
Oh wait… that was in my dream.
In reality mine eventually all fell off… i tried one off the ground… and it was not good… not even close to tasting ripe.
Perhaps next year my dream will come true 
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Che is a dream to grow, I do nothing and it produces hundreds of fruit every year. No other tree I grow is as easy as the che, no damage from insects, animals or frost. I don’t even fertilize it. It is so easy anyone can grow it and if it tasted good everyone would. There is a reason it is not popular. Even the tree in the EL video looks like no one has eaten any fruit off it.
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It’s not good it’s great! But I had to wait a lot of time to get good fruits. My tree is grafted and i bought from mitakami member of this forum many years ago.
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Mine are still young Darrow and Norris. 1st year in ground as as expected all fruits have fallen off still green. I’ll need to wait a few years. But it likes the spot i planted them. Tolerates really well dry and wet spells.
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Mine is the seedless che (California Dreaming) from Cliff at Englands Orchard.
What Cliff says about it…
California Dreaming CHE - Larger than most and more productive with upright growth habits, Berries are sweeter does not produce seed, but the fruit is larger if a male is present as all che will produce seed if pollinated.
“Berries are sweeter”… still dreaming.
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At least you can try to grow silk worms (it’s pretty fun, believe me 
) with Che leaves…that’s how Chinese people use the tree. The Che fruit, forget it if you are not a fan of Chinese medicine.
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It is interesting that some like their Che while for others it is probably a fruit not worth growing. I wonder if the cultivar or growing conditions explains the difference.
I am finally harvesting more than a handful of fruit after 5yrs or so. Have 2 varieties grafted on to the same tree but only one holds fruit. I believe it is Norris. I also have a grafted male tree but have not seen it bloom.
I do enjoy the fruit, it has the sweet melony flavor that most people describe. Similar to a good Cantaloupe without the tart component. I also detect the slightest hint of Durian on very ripe fruit!
The fruit is ready to pick when it turns a darker shade of red. At this stage they are slightly softer but still firmly attached to the tree. It may leak a little latex from the stem when picking
but none in the fruit. Fruit fallen on the ground are past prime and are not good.
The only downside for me is that the fruit has seeds(around 5 or so per fruit). I have learned how to separate the seeds in my mouth while enjoying the fruit and finally discarding the seed.
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It’s just personal preference.
Some people love durian and some people hate durian. It doesn’t matter where it’s grown. And even durian is far more genetically diverse than che.
Funny how this debate keeps coming back. @castanea I took your advice 3 years ago on that debate and never got one. Most of the people I talk to say they are sweet, but have weak flavor and take a long time to fruit without dropping.
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My first taste of some Che fruits sent by my friend @Luisport .
Can confirm i love the taste, melon/light mulberry and sweet.
Cant wait my own Che trees start producing!!!
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@Carld … thanks … for the update.
I am still hoping mine turn out to be something i will enjoy.
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Planted this tree from Edible Landscaping in 2014, and finally getting fruit. Most drop without fully ripening (and interestingly aren’t eaten by animals like @castanea noted), and I kind of agree with the animals. The fruit is fine, but I’d rather eat pretty much anything else I grow.
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