Sorry we do not ship. The Che Darrow (Cudrania tricuspidata), is also known as Chinese Mulberry, or Mandarin Melonberry. This small tree is in the mulberry family and is native to eastern Asia, but has been naturalized around the globe. This variety is self-fertile so you only need one plant to bear fruit in the fall. The fruit tastes like a cross between a fig and watermelon. These trees are grafted on Osage orange rootstock to prevent suckering.
Che Darrow Variety
Che Darrow is a productive seedless selection of Maclura tricuspidata named in honor of USDA plant breeder Dr. George M. Darrow. This female cultivar produces heavy crops of deep maroon-red fruit typically about 1–2 inches across. The flavor is sweet and pleasant, often compared to a blend of fig and watermelon. Darrow is commonly grafted onto Osage orange rootstock, which encourages a more upright tree form rather than the naturally bushy growth often seen in che. Plants grow best in full sun and well-drained soil and are generally considered hardy in USDA Zones 5b–9. Because of its reliable productivity and relatively large fruit, Darrow has become one of the more widely grown che selections.
Che General Info
Che trees are dioecious, meaning that there are male plants and female plants. The varieties that we sell as well as some others out there produce fruit even without a male tree around. When a Che plant bears fruit with no male plant around the fruit is seedless. If a male plant is around, it is said that the fruit will have 3 to 6 small brown edible seeds.
In the West Virginia area the fruit ripens in the fall. The ripe fruit slightly soft and is a deep reddish-dark pink color. The fruit ripens as early as mid-summer in warmer southern climates. The fruit size is cultivar dependent. The taste is generally like a cross between a fig and watermelon but there are some subtle differences between cultivars. The fruit generally ripens for up to a month and once ripe it has a good shelf life.
The tree will generally form into the shape of an umbrella. Some of the leaves look like green duck feet. If planted on its own rootstock it sends up lots of suckers and becomes shrubby. For this reason, it is usually grafted on Osage orange rootstock. This allows the plant to form a nice single trunked tree that usually does not grow larger than sixteen feet tall.
Be sure to check out our other great plants for sale at Great Escape Nursery.
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Sorry, we do not ship plants. We will only be selling plants from our nurseries in Maryland and West Virginia. Pease see our “Contact Us” page for more information.