🍈 Norris Che

Maclura tricuspidata ‘Norris’
The seedless melon berry: sweet, seedless, cantaloupe-watermelon fruit on a thornless-grafted tree, the che to start with.
Sun
Full sun
Days to harvest
Fruit in 1-3 years from grafted tree; ripens late summer to fall
Spacing
12-15 feet
Soil pH
6.0-7.5
Zones
5-10

What it looks like

Maclura tricuspidata (species) — Maclura tricuspidata-fruit
Maclura tricuspidata, the species (no verified photo of ‘Norris’ itself exists). Photo: Abrahami, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Maclura tricuspidata (species) — Maclura tricuspidata - 3 seeds + ruler, 02
Maclura tricuspidata, the species (no verified photo of ‘Norris’ itself exists). Photo: Eiku, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Maclura tricuspidata (species) — Maclura tricuspidata - seedling with first true leaves 2
Maclura tricuspidata, the species (no verified photo of ‘Norris’ itself exists). Photo: Eiku, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Why this variety

Norris is the che to start with, and the nursery trade agrees: it is a female, seedless selection discovered in an old orchard at the Norris Dam project, sold as Norris Seedless Melon Berry, with round, soft, super-sweet fruit that tastes like cantaloupe crossed with watermelon and a hint of fig. Seedless matters enormously with che, because seeded che fruit is seedy enough to be a chore, while Norris fruit is all soft, juicy flesh — the difference between a curiosity and a fruit you actually look forward to picking.

In Florida, Norris belongs in the North and Central garden, where it gets enough winter chill to be happy and enough heat to ripen sweet fruit. Plant a grafted tree on Osage orange rootstock, which tames che’s notorious suckering and thorns, give it full sun and well-drained soil, and do not plant a male che nearby — a male pollinating a seedless female is how seedless fruit becomes seedy fruit, which defeats the whole point. In the far South, heat without sufficient chill makes che a trial, not a promise, and this guide says so plainly.

If you are new to choosing between cultivars, the Varieties Matter guide explains why the name after the plant matters as much as the plant itself. Norris is a perfect example: it is not just a che in the abstract, it is a che with a specific job, a specific history, and specific strengths.

How to grow

Plant a grafted tree in spring in full sun and well-drained soil — che must be grafted onto Osage orange rootstock, which tames its suckering and thorns and gives a single-trunked tree instead of a thicket. Work worm castings into the planting hole, water through the first season, and space 12 to 15 feet from other trees. Prune in winter for shape, and do not plant a male che near a seedless female if you want seedless fruit, because pollination is how seedless fruit becomes seedy. Che is notably pest-free once established.

Set plants 12-15 feet in soil with a pH around 6.0-7.5. Work worm castings into the bed at planting and mulch to hold moisture. A well-fed che plant rewards that care directly: steadier growth, better bloom, and a show that actually shows up.

Water & feeding

Water to establish, then water moderately — che is drought-tolerant once established and sulks in waterlogged soil. Water at the soil line, mulch to hold moisture, and feed lightly: castings at planting plus a balanced organic feed in spring. A young grafted tree needs steady water through its first season; an established tree handles dry spells, and overwatering is a bigger risk than underwatering once roots are deep.

Common problems

  • Seediness from a nearby male — a male che pollinating a seedless female makes seedy fruit; keep males away from seedless females.
  • Suckering and thorns on own-root trees — plant grafted trees on Osage orange rootstock, and remove any rootstock suckers promptly.
  • Underripe fruit disappointment — che picked underripe is bland; wait until fruit is fully soft and colored before picking.
  • Failure in hot, low-chill climates — che needs winter chill; in warm zones, treat it as a North and Central trial, not a South promise.
  • Birds eating ripe fruit — net trees or pick promptly when fruit ripens, because birds find che fruit as fast as you do.

Harvest

Harvest fruit in late summer to fall, when fruit is fully soft, fully colored, and yields gently to pressure — che picked underripe is bland, and che picked ripe is sweet, juicy, and worth the wait. Pick fruit by hand, since ripe che is soft and bruises easily, and eat fresh or freeze pulp for later, because che does not store long fresh. Do not plant a male nearby if you want seedless fruit, and do not be surprised if birds take a share: pick promptly when fruit ripens, and share the rest with the birds as the price of growing fruit outdoors.

Nerdy fact: Che is a close relative of Osage orange, mulberry, and fig, all in the Moraceae family, which is why grafting che onto Osage orange rootstock works so well. Its other names — Mandarin melon berry, Chinese mulberry, silkworm thorn — tell its history: in China its leaves, like mulberry leaves, were fed to silkworms.

Browse all plant & pest guides

Saving seeds

Norris is the che to start with, and the nursery trade agrees: it is a female, seedless selection discovered in an old orchard at the Norris Dam project, sold as Norris Seedless Melon Berry, with round, soft, super-sweet fruit that tastes like cantaloupe crossed with watermelon and a hint of fig. Seedless matters enormously with che, because seeded che fruit is seedy enough to be a chore, while Norris fruit is all soft, juicy flesh. As a seedless female selection it is kept true by grafting, not by seed: plant a grafted tree in spring in full sun and well-drained soil — che must be grafted onto Osage orange rootstock, which tames its suckering and thorns — and do not plant a male che nearby, because a male pollinating a seedless female is how seedless fruit becomes seedy. The full method is in the Saving seeds section of the Che guide.