Mandarin Melon Berry, Che

Common Names: Che Fruit, Chinese Mulberry, Mandarin Melon Berry, Cudrang

Che fruit is a tough, cold-tolerant deciduous tree that handles Perth's hot summers and chilly winters with ease. The fruit looks like a round, red bumpy mulberry or a miniature jackfruit. It has a sweet, unique melon-like flavor with a dense, rich texture similar to a fig. It is an excellent choice for backyard growers looking for a highly productive, unusual fruit tree that requires minimal fuss once established.

Features:

Ideal prune height range: 3-5m

pH growing conditions: 6.0 to 7.5

Shade or full sun: Full sun, move to some shade in summer

Minimum pot year 5: 45L pot

Time to fruit age: 2-3 years for grafted trees, 5-7 years from cuttings/seedlings.

Che trees belong to the mulberry family and develop a beautiful, spreading canopy. Being deciduous, they drop their leaves entirely in winter, leaving a bare silhouette before bursting into life when the weather warms up. They are incredibly drought-tolerant once their root system is established and adapt well to a wide range of soil types, including Perth's sandy coastal soils. While they can tolerate some neglect, regular summer watering will dramatically increase your fruit size and overall harvest.

Interesting Notes:

The tree is closely related to figs and mulberries, and its leaves are traditionally used in China to feed silkworms when mulberry leaves are scarce. The fruit is rich in antioxidants and can be eaten fresh straight off the tree, dried like raisins, or used to make unique jams and wines.

This tree is a fantastic addition to any suburban food forest or rare fruit collection.

Limited stock. Pickup from Parkwood, WA. Delivery to Perth Metro only.

Keywords: Che fruit, Mandarin Melon Berry, rare fruit tree Perth, drought tolerant fruit tree, deciduous fruit tree