Litchi

Litchi Nut, Lychee
Sapindaceae
Evergreen, Edible fruit, Trees

Growing 20–40 ft. tall and wide, this round-topped Chinese evergreen can bear thousands of brittle, warty fruits at once. When the easy-to-peel rind turns from green to red, harvest by snipping off whole clusters. The smooth, white edible portion inside looks something like a grape with a pit in the middle. The most desirable varieties have a small or shriveled seed known as a chicken tongue. The tree’s leathery leaves are copperyred when new, maturing todark green; each has three tonine 3–6-in.-long leaflets. Tinycream-colored flowers bloom inlate spring. Trees are usuallyself-fruitful, but an individualtree may set more male flowersthan female ones, reducing fruitproduction. Botanically, this isLitchi chinensis.

Fruit is sweet—juicy whenfresh, raisin-like when dried.Varieties include small-pitted‘Groff’, ‘Kaimana’ (the best variety for Hawaii), and ‘Kwai Mi’ (‘Mauritius’). ‘Sweet Cliff’ has a small to medium-size seed; the slightly more acidic ‘Brewster’ has a large one.

Litchi needs a frost-free site, acid soil, moist atmosphere, and light nitrogen fertilizer. It has fruited in a few coastal areas of Southern California; reliable in Hawaii.