Litchi Species, Chinese Lychee, Lumquat
Litchi chinensis
Family: | Sapindaceae (sap-in-DAY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Litchi (LEE-chee) (Info) |
Species: | chinensis (chi-NEN-sis) (Info) |

Category:
Edible Fruits and Nuts
Trees
Water Requirements:
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage:
Evergreen
Textured
Foliage Color:
Height:
30-40 ft. (9-12 m)
over 40 ft. (12 m)
Spacing:
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Danger:
Bloom Color:
Inconspicuous/none
Bloom Characteristics:
Flowers are fragrant
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
By grafting
By air layering
Seed Collecting:
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Fresno, California
Upland, California
Kissimmee, Florida
Merritt Island, Florida(2 reports)
Miami, Florida
Rockledge, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sebring, Florida
Venice, Florida
Snellville, Georgia
Honomu, Hawaii
Brookings, Oregon
Harbor, Oregon
Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes
Lenoir City, Tennessee
Houston, Texas
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Mar 1, 2009, timrann from Other, Here in Mauritius we have many of these. Also there is cultivar named Mauritius. Easily grown from seed or air-layering or even grafted. The easiest way is from air-layering that takes about 45 days to 70 days to roots on the mother plant. In Mauritius , the fruits ripe in summer which is nov - jan. |
Positive | On Jan 16, 2009, vossner from East Texas, Delicious fruit, tree will not survive in my area w/o a whole lot of winter TLC or a greenhouse. |
Positive | On Aug 14, 2006, tmccullo from Houston, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: We love Lychee. My wife buys them by the pounds at the grocery store. We literally throw the seeds out into our garden and they grow. I have transplanted quite of few of them in pots. we are finding out that the love shade when they are still young. I can't wait until we get one big enough to put into the ground. Anyone know how long they take to get 3-4' tall? How log before they produce fruit? |
Neutral | On Jul 15, 2006, greyyhawkk from Seattle, WA wrote: The dictionaries (onelook.com) list the pronunciation as lee-chee like the davesgarden listing at the top of the page does, vs. lie-chee. |
Positive | On Jun 29, 2006, stressbaby from Fulton, MO wrote: I grow smaller lychees in a zone 5 greenhouse. I thought I would add my "lessons learned" under the species, but I grow 'Brewster' and 'Sweetheart.' |
Positive | On Jul 9, 2004, punaheledp from Kailua, HI (Zone 11) wrote: if all you've ever tasted is canned lychee (yuck), you haven't tasted the bit of heaven fresh lychee is. When lucky I get a box from my brother on the Big Is. Like them chilled, will try frozen, sounds good. I've always heard the tree is temperamental and will go a few years without bearing if it doesn't like conditions. Nice looking tree. My neighbor had one but it stopped producing no matter what he did to encourage it so took it down. |
Positive | On Jun 6, 2004, foodiesleuth from Honomu, HI (Zone 11) wrote: Lychee are pronounced Lie-chee, not Lee-chee........It grows very well in Hawaii. This year the crops seem to be especially large and the fruit bigger, plumper and juicier. |
Neutral | On Jun 5, 2004, Thaumaturgist from Rockledge, FL (Zone 10a) wrote: If you search for Litchi chinensis, you would find that there are postings already for the top 6 varieties of Lychee, |
Positive | On Jun 5, 2004, Jamespayne from Sebring, FL (Zone 9b) wrote: I can not believe no one has posted a positive note on this tree and it's World renowed fruit, that bestows an addictive flavor that makes them impossible to stop eating!! They become ripe the second week of June and must be picked before they quickly drop onto the ground. In growing zone 9a-9b, they do well as long as the Winter cold snaps do not stay below freezing for over 3-4 hours. In 1982, a severe cold snap killed many Lychee Trees in our area. Now the area is full once again with Lychee Trees, and most if not all are for personal use, and not grown in central Florida for market sales. In south Florida they do grow them to sell and they bring a very hefty price. They can not be compared to the canned lychees. The canned are much too sweet and have the can taste, unlike the fresh... read more |