CHE, Melon Berry , Cudrang. Stretching the FIG bit here, but they are related to figs, although I believe closer to mulberry. Folks have expressed interest here before, so offering up some  scion for grafting for shipping cost only. This is supposedly a seedless one, has not fruited for me as of yet. Jon has some good pictures here under his Fruiting Plant collection link. http://encantofarms.com/collection.html  I don’t believe rooting  them is easy, and only from softwood in summer, this is dormant wood.  They graft easily to Osage orange, or of course to Che itself. Those of you in the midwest/plains states should have no problem locating Osage orange seedlings.  They are the Maclura pomifera, also  commonly called, hedge-apple,  Horse-apple, and is what all most the hedge rows in the plains state are. The Che is a very thorny tree at least in it's juvenile state.

What kind of growing conditions does it like best.  I love Che, but the one time I tried growing it, it died quickly in the heat.   I didn't know anything about how to grow it though and it was pre-internet days.  

I grow one in a large pot along with my figs. Only thing I do different is leave it out for winter as it is very hardy. After I guess 4 maybe 5 years of growing it produced the first edible berries that stayed on long enough to ripen. Interesting taste, but I thought the fruit texture was a little rubbery. I would like to plant it in ground, but have to convince my wife to remove an apple tree to do so, no room!   

I think it a very tough plant, both heat and cold tolerant, and I don't believe pest problems. I think the fruit is bland unless the fruit is allowed to get very ripe. Years ago when I tasted it was probably under ripe. Mine  were grafted spring 2011 and have not fruited yet, but a common complaint is the fruit dropping prior to ripe. The pollination need is debatable as well. Some places indicate you need a male other say not needed. Seems one of those fruits people either love or dislike.

They are delicious when fully ripe. It tastes like cotton candy. Barry if the one you had was rubery its because it wasn't ripe.
Thy are very late... Ripening around November up here.
The seedless variety takes long to matures enough to keep the fruit. Mine keeps dropping the fruit. If you have a male and female they fruit within a year.
Best time to root them is early spring... Cuttings taken now are only good for grafting. Cuttings for rooting should be taken in April to May.

Bass I really waited until it looked ripe, I guess it was sometime in November as there was a threat of frost. Maybe as it matures it will ripen sooner like some figs.

Why did you have to do it?  Cotton candy!  Now, I got to get a che tree.    Of course, no room for it.  When you say heat tolerant, will it survive 6 months of 100+ temps, sometimes into the 115+ for weeks on end?   

It should survive these temperatures.

So, who knows what kind of grafted scion would improve a self-fertile tree from EL? Male or female?

What's the best variety of Che to get ( taste wise)?

As far as I know there are no named varieties. There are male and female trees and there is a self-fertile variant sold by Edible Landscaping. Also US Davis distributes scion wood of the self-fertile one. I have a young  one from EL, but would rather graft a male scion onto it to make sure it will not drop fruits.

I have read that the one that edible landscaping has is a male that set fruit, so you would need a female partner not a male partner.

Thanks Bass, I will try to find some female scion.

I grafted my trees from U.C. Davis scion. I don't know if its male or female but they list it as seedless.   Boris, I can send you some scion.  I have a couple plums and persimmons coming your way  shortly, and another couple sticks in the package if you want.  I was up taking cuttings today.

Phil,
 thank you  for the offer, but your Che probably is the same as mine. Mine is seedless from EL.

Where's a good place to buy Che from?

I will have a few grafted trees available soon if interested.