Lychee
Litchi chinensis
Needs a cool, dry winter to flower.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 30 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: May to July
From: S. China
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: East Asia. Hardy in zones 10 to 11.
The story
Lychees have been cultivated in southern China for more than 2,000 years; an emperor of the Tang dynasty famously had them rushed north by relay horses for his consort. Chinese growers brought them to Florida and Hawaiʻi in the 1800s.
Planting
Full sun, rich, moist, slightly acid soil, and shelter from wind. Plant an air-layered tree; seedlings take a decade. It needs a cool, dry winter to flower.
Growing
Water through the dry season, hold back in late autumn to trigger bloom, then water as fruit sets. Mulch and feed lightly; it is slow and long-lived.
Harvest and use
Pick whole clusters in early summer when the skin is red and bumpy; it will not ripen further. Eat within days or freeze in the shell.
What to watch for
Birds and fruit bats, erinose mite on young leaves, and frost.
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More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home