I tasted Che for the first time today. It tasted like a cross between watermelon and mulberry to me. It’s not my favorite fruit, but I’d eat a few if I were walking past the tree and wanted a little snack.
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My tree produced heavily this year. There are two-distinct groups of fruit ripening, an early one and one that is about a week to 10 day later. Among the early ripening fruits (found on the lower and south-facing side of the tree) the taste is sweet, but good. The fruits are not what I would call chewy like @Mikatani described. Mine were more melting, mushy. I picked half a paper-bag of fruit and the fruit on the bottom were leaking through the bag within hours. I haven’t picked many of the ones starting to ripen now, but they are similar to the earlier ones, though they are perhaps a little less mushy.
I sponsor a gardening club and the kids were all fans of the fruit. It was their favorite out of pawpaws (2 weeks before) and tamarind (the week before). I’m hoping to bring kiwis next week. Out of 40 or so kids, most had seconds and a few suggested it might be good in a smoothie with some berries (likely for the tartness these fruit might add).
Has anyone tried dehydrating these? Mine have no seeds, so I imagine they might dehydrate down to a raisin kind of fruit. Dehydrating might help with the mushy-ness as well.
Scott
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Just planted in ground 3 months ago 2 che trees, a Norris and a Darrow.
They seem to be fine, the Norris already has some fruit on, but I am expecting it to abort, has it seems common for the first years. If it stays, great! Lol
. Norris
. Darrow
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hey Edin,
i’m growing 4 cultivars including two you listed:
Hwang Kum #3 (in-ground for 3 years; very thorny and very vigorous)
California (i large pot for 2 years; will be planted this winter, Jan 2023)
ours drop fruit for a few years; the oldest Che (the seedless from edible landscape) held fruit this year and we’ve enjoyed a few. will make a vid ~today eating the last few fruit).
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I got one fruit on my California dreaming this year and was so excited… but it dropped. Maybe next year?
Are you fertilizing your trees? If so, what is your schedule?
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i fert once in spring (10-10-10). i spoke with Michael at EL about fruit dropping and he said it wasn’t unusual for younger trees. i also didn’t water well during this yr’s hot spell so i may have not helped her hold fruit.
stay the course – i think you know just how tasty the fruit is. we drive to EL annually to devour Che fruit from their tree. sooooo tasty 
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Yes, I like it personally, but there was a thread here a year or so ago where folks were saying that they didn’t fancy the taste (imagine that!).
I need to get out to EL. I finally ordered from him in 2021, originally the 3 white nanking cherries were part of the order, but he only ended up being able to send 2. One died… hoping the other will survive!
about folks palates: my suspicion is that folks truly taste things differently. a tablespoon of sugar or salt in one thing but when it comes to ?flavor nuances? there’s seems to be a weird arience. yup, i think a person is ‘wack’ if they don’t like the flavor of Che. totally.
the Che picking season is about done; i didn’t get to EL this year (first time in long while). whatever…
sorry to hear about ur order. EL is very expensive too; i love 'em but open ur wallet 
EL does have that Nanking White Bush Cherry. the sweetest variety (according to my notes). great job on growing the super rare girls FarmGirl! the Nanking White and Nanking Black are on my ‘to do’ list. farm-on girl!
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Thanks! Where did you find Nan Black. I’ve been trying to track it down for a few years now. Do tell!
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i didn’t find a source yet for the Nan Black; just made a note that it’s rare and placed it on my radar
i haven’t planted one Nan yet; i’ll plunge in to them eventually
this is the ‘radar’ ;): List of 400 edible plants to grow in YOUR garden.
out of curiosity i googled the Black. a few nurseries in Canada have her but…
these folks are in PA: Black Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa 'Nigra') in Drums Mountaintop Wilkes-Barre Hazleton Whitehaven Pennsylvania PA at Beechwood Gardens
you better not buy the last one
Canadian source:
don’t know if they ship to the States.
another Canadian nursery has a yellow goji i want. looks like i’ll be visiting family in Canada
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I’ve been to both of those sites in the past. The first site that you linked, I think I called them because they only offer the Nan Black by special order. I believe that they told me that they didn’t have it. I’ll try to call again to see if it will be in stock this spring. The second one, well, I don’t have family in Canada (that I know of), lol. 
Thanks for the reminders! If you find any other nurseries selling it stateside, please come back and post about it.
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Also, I’ve been to your site before! It’s awesome! I have some of the same goals for my farm. I’d like to get this type of information up on my site. Nice job!
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well thank you (about visiting site)!! plz subscribe to my channel too (plz
i’ll give the folks in PA a call; i have SO many girls to plant right now that i’m trying to temper my buying. trying… ;). i’m up to three nurseries to visit in PA. other than than i’m in control
swing by if u ever visit DC. bring a shovel & some boxes & plastic bags.
i see u have cold-weather girls on ur ?intro page (zone 6). seaberry is my worst performing plant; they (I think) want truly cool / cold weather. you’re lucky. it’s a VERY nutritious fruit. and u have the Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) that’s true super fruit. buy Chokeberry cheap cheap from State Nurseries (MD, VA and other state nurseries), if interested. the fruit freezes very well. i’m trying to eat it year around.
VERY nutritious fruit (Chokeberry (Aronia) is a SUPERFRUIT, easy-to-grow NO water plant!).
and we’re trying to grow the currants & gooseberries u have but they ‘tank’ in July/Aug and/or, some fungus weirdness isn’t helping. cold weather has it’s advantages
have a great day & farm-on Farm Girl!
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thank you FarmGirl!!! correction made. glad the currants are doing well; they too are a nutritious fruit for human health.
i was SOOOO bullish on seaberry that i made a lot of notes. they were planted in prime locations. i said to myself, i want people to see this!
unfortunately, they’re just not doing well. they sucker OK but the part above the ground so not vigorous. i bought ~5 cultivars and 3 males. only the Sirola is doing OK and no male has survived :(. i’m moving on from seaberry … for now…
my notes are focused on fruit sweetness:
Baikal: compact shape and unusually sweet fruit. Good for both fresh eating and juice. this is one i haven’t tried.
Golden Sweet: very sweet fruit
Klim’s Prize: Sweet fruit
Sirola: unusually sweet fruit
Sunny: uniquely sweet fruit
Orange Energy: “Crops are so heavy that in September the plant essentially turns orange.”
gracias FarmGirl for the feedback; be good & farm-on!
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My one adventure into seedling seaberries didn’t go very good…all 10 ended up dead in 3 years. Mixed m/f seedlings.
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sorry to hear that about the seaberries. they’re sold as vigorous, easy-care plants and i launched head-long into 'em. seems like you need to be near the arctic circle to grow 'em
plenty of other girls to grow… ;). take care BlueBerry
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In real life, most people who grow che fruit vastly prefer eating other fruits.
Just like how in this thread about che fruit, people prefer taking about other fruits.
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Coming back to this old post to update…
After a few years in the ground, Maclura cochinchinensis finally has its first flowers!
One week later, the reveal…
It’s a boy! Ladies and gents, I’m a proud papa to a boy Cockspur Thorn! And it gets better! Apparently the males and females don’t always flower simultaneously, so the fact that the neighboring tree is bloom-free bodes well for the likelihood of it being female.
Perhaps since I have a confirmed male, I should buy a female Che tree… if it gets seeded fruit when grown next to the Spur, then they’d be guaranteed hybrids. A possible route for the improvement of Che. I’m excited!
I’d rather keep the Che in a pot, if I get it. Would it fruit in a pot?
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You did better with fairdinkum than me. When I ordered cochinchinensis 6 years ago he only sent chaff; absolutely no seeds whatsoever…
