Checked my CHE today… July 22… still on still sizing up some.
When they do drop fruit… do any of you remember when that happened… was it Aug, Sept ?
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They hang on the tree long after they have passed edible stage.
When they mature depends on what variety you have and where you’re growing it.
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@castanea ---- but when the fruit do drop (on younger trees like mine, 3 yr old)… when do they normally drop ?
I have been waiting for mine to possibly drop… but no sign of that so far.
If they hang on until fall, I would assume they would ripen…
Just wondering when they do drop fruit, when does that usually happen ?
It has not happened yet… still hanging on well.
Thanks
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What I’m saying is that they ripen fruit weeks or months BEFORE they drop the fruit.
When they drop is irrelevant. At that point they’re completely disgusting. You care when the fruit is ripe and edible. They’re ripe and edible when they turn completely red. Some people prefer to pick them a couple of weeks after that because the sticky sap diminishes with time.
These are ripe -
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Hmmm… and i was expecting the unripe fruit to drop from the tree sometime before it ripens…
If the tree is younger… like mine.
Oh well will keep warching and see what happens. Hopefully some ripen and i get ro try them.
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Just like persimmon trees, some of the small fruit might drop while it’s still green, before it ripens, especially in younger trees, but the fruit does not drop when it turns red and ripens.
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@castanea — below is the variety of CHE that I have…(California Dreaming, seedless)… got it from Cliff at England’s Orchard.
He is in KY (north of me) and says ripens in October… it may ripen in late Sept here.
He does say (berries are sweeter… I assume he means than most other CHE varieties)… and he says they have a pleasant melon-fig flavor.
Yes… he is selling them… hopefully I will get to report on that later this fall, or perhaps next fall (if mine do drop between now and late Sept/Oct).
TNHunter
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The only difference I have ever noticed in different che cultivars is the fruit maturity date. Fruit size can differ too but that seems to be more related to growing conditions and the presence of seeds than anything else.
I’ve grown maybe 7 different cultivars and tasted the fruit on others and the fruit all tastes the same.
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My drops by may in Florida. Haven’t had a ripe one yet!
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Walked by my CHE yesterday evening and noticed a couple fruit dropped and laying on the mulch.
It has been extremely hot and dry here for about a month… thise fruit looked heat stressed to me… had turned from green to reddidh brown and dropped.
Only 2 dropped… most of the others are still looking good sizing up still green… and we got a good rain yesterday eve… and getting more this morning.
Dry spell over for a little while at least.
Che, grapes ,figs , jujubes, and some raspberries and strawberries are still developing fruit and needed this good rain.
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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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