Growing che (chinese mulberry)
berry / bush fruit
WINTER CHILL NEEDED
~300–500 hrs
POLLINATION
Partly self-fertile — crops much better with a partner
Pollination
Female-only clones set seedless fruit alone but crop more heavily with a male nearby.
Growing it
Zones 6-9. A thorny (or thornless grafted) small tree with maroon fruit tasting of mild mulberry and watermelon. Very few pests; tolerates poor soil.
Will you get enough chill?
Che (Chinese Mulberry) needs roughly 300–500 hours between 32 and 45 °F over winter to break dormancy evenly. Check your area with the chill hours calculator. Low-chill breeding has pushed many varieties well below the figure here, so read the plant tag.
Chill and pollination are given at the fruit-type level; specific cultivars can differ. Values are typical ranges for home-garden planning.