Cudrania, ‘Darrow’ and ‘Norris’ female COMBO tree Cricket Hill Garden

Cudrania tricuspidata ‘Darrow’ and ‘Norris’

Name in Chinese and pin yin: 柘 zhe

Variety description: This under appreciated fruit is a relative of mulberry and fig, and is native to central China. In addition to being grown for its fruit, traditionally Che leaves were used as a secondary food source for silk worms. Self-fertile seedless female trees bear a prolific crop of maroon-red, 1-2″ fruit. Ripe fruit have a sweet flavor which is often compared to that of a fig with notes of watermelon.

We graft our Che onto Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) rootstock so that as the plant matures it will develop less of a bush and more of a standard tree form. Young plants have small thorns. These trees are budded with two female cultivars ‘Darrow’ and ‘Norris’ which will produce seedless fruit in the absence of a male pollinator. 

‘Darrow’ che is propagated from a tree grown by the famed USDA plant breeder Dr. George M. Darrow (pictured left). Over the course of his long career with the USDA, Dr. Darrow worked to hybridize many of the commercial strawberry varieties which are still grown today. Dr. Darrow was also interested in improving other small fruits.

In his book, Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden, horticulturalist Lee Reich writes that his first encounter with che fruit was at Dr. Darrow’s Maryland home. Reich recounts: “I wish that I had become better acquainted with che soon after our introduction. That first meeting was in 1979 at the home of renowned fruit breeder George M. Darrow, then ninety years old and retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His dooryard che, unfortunately, had no fruits ripe for sampling.”

‘Norris’ che was discovered by nurseryman Cliff England growing in an orchard of unusual fruit trees planted in the 1930s on the site of the TVA’s Norris Dam in northern Tennessee. 

Site requirements: Full sun location. Che will grow in a range of soil types provided that the roots stay evenly moist throughout the heat of the summer. Deep, well drained loam is ideal.

Size at maturity: 10-25′ tall, 25′ wide, depending on pruning.

Hardiness: USDA zones 5b-9. There are some reports of Che growing in USDA zone 5. Cooler climates may have insufficient summer heat to fully ripen the fruit.

Pests and Diseases: None observed. Birds will eat the fruit if you are late to harvest and deer may browse both the fruit and foliage. We protect young trees with a circle  of wire mesh to keep the deer away.

Plant size: Grafted tree, 2-3 ft tall. Grown in a 1.5 gallon tall tree pot.

When we ship: Fall 2023/Spring 2024.

Shipping restrictions: None.