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Lychee

Litchi chinensis

A handsome, dense evergreen tree grown for clusters of red, bumpy-skinned fruit with juicy, translucent white flesh. It needs a cool, dry spell in winter to flower well, which is why crops in South Florida vary from year to year.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Litchi chinensis
Origin
Southern China and northern Vietnam
Tree size
20–40 ft if left alone; easy to keep at 10–15 ft with pruning after harvest
Growth rate
Slow to medium
Sun
Full sun
Soil
Rich, slightly acidic soil that drains well. Struggles in alkaline limestone without extra iron and organic matter.
Soil pH
5.0–7.0
Pollination
Self-fertile; bees and other insects move the pollen, so one tree is enough
Cold hardiness
Young trees are damaged near 32°F; mature trees take brief dips to about 25–28°F
USDA zones
10–11 (9b with protection)
Years to first fruit
3–5 for an air-layered or grafted tree
Season
May–Jul
Water
About every 7 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 90 days, Mar–Aug
Pruning
Jul–Aug
Taste
Sweet, juicy and floral, with a hint of rose and grape; some cultivars are slightly tart
Nutrition
Very high in vitamin C, with some copper and potassium

Is lychee safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Ripe flesh (aril), raw or canned

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Toxic: Unripe lychees contain hypoglycin A and MCPG, which can drop blood sugar dangerously. Outbreaks of brain swelling in undernourished children in India and Vietnam were linked to eating many lychees on an empty stomach and skipping dinner. Eat only ripe fruit, and don't let children make a meal of them.
  • Take care: Don't eat the seeds. They contain the same blood-sugar-lowering compounds.
  • Good to know: The round, slippery flesh is a choking hazard for small children; cut it up and remove the seed.

Pets: A little peeled, seeded ripe flesh is fine for dogs. Keep seeds, skins and unripe fruit away from all pets.

How to eat and enjoy lychee

  • Fresh, peeled straight off the tree
  • Chilled in fruit salads and with coconut desserts
  • Lychee martinis, sorbet and bubble tea
  • Canned in syrup or dried (lychee nuts) in China

When it's ripe

Lychees don't ripen after picking. Harvest whole clusters when the skin is fully colored for the cultivar and the bumps flatten slightly; taste one to check. Cut the branch a few inches above the cluster, which also prunes the tree.

Storing it

Refrigerate in a sealed bag for 1–2 weeks. The skin browns within a day or two at room temperature, though the flesh is still good. Whole fruit freezes well.

Lychee varieties (9)

  • Brewster · also Chen Purple

    A vigorous, upright tree with large, red, cone-shaped fruit; long one of Florida's two main lychees.

    Origin: China (Fujian) · Taste: Sweet, slightly tart · Season: Jun–Jul · Size: Large

    Needs a reliably cool winter to bloom well.

  • Emperor

    Very large fruit on a slow-growing, compact tree.

    Taste: Sweet · Season: Jun–Jul · Size: Very large

    A good choice for small yards and large pots.

  • Groff

    A late-season Hawaiian lychee with sweet flesh and many small seeds.

    Origin: Hawaii · Taste: Sweet · Size: Small to medium

  • Hak Ip · also Hei Ye, Black Leaf

    A classic Chinese lychee with dark leaves and crisp, sweet flesh.

    Origin: China (Guangdong) · Taste: Sweet, crisp · Season: Jun–Jul · Size: Medium

  • Kaimana

    A University of Hawaii selection from a Hak Ip seedling, chosen for large fruit and better bearing in warm winters.

    Origin: Hawaii · Taste: Sweet, juicy · Size: Large

  • Kwai Mai Pink · also Kwai May Pink, Bosworth 3

    A sweet lychee with pinkish-red skin, widely grown in Australia.

    Taste: Sweet

  • Mauritius · also Tai So, Hong Huey

    Florida's most planted lychee: a dependable, early cultivar with bright red fruit and sweet, slightly tart flesh.

    Origin: China (Guangdong) · Taste: Sweet with mild tartness · Season: May–Jun · Size: Medium

    Bears more regularly than most lychees in mild winters.

  • No Mai Tsze · also Nuomici, No Mai Chi

    Prized in China for very sweet, firm flesh and tiny seeds; the name means 'glutinous rice'.

    Origin: China (Guangdong) · Taste: Very sweet, rich

    A shy, irregular bearer outside its home range.

  • Sweetheart

    Named for its large, heart-shaped fruit. The flesh is very sweet and many fruit have small, shriveled seeds.

    Taste: Very sweet · Season: Jun–Jul · Size: Large

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Lychee erinose mite

    Felt-like brown or reddish blisters under leaves; leaves curl and new growth is stunted.

    What to do: Cut off and bag infested shoots.

  • Algal leaf spot

    Raised, rusty-orange velvety spots on leaves and twigs.

    What to do: Copper spray in summer if it's heavy.

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

Growing lychees? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your lychee needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.