Lychee Tree
Litchi chinensis
📖 About this plant
Lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a tropical evergreen fruit tree in the Sapindaceae (soapberry) family, prized for its aromatic sweet translucent fruits that are among the most beloved summer fruits in India. Native to southern China where it has been cultivated for over 4,000 years, lychee was introduced to India in the 18th century via Burma (Myanmar) and has flourished so well that India is today the second-largest producer of lychee in the world after China. The tree produces large pinnate leaves with copper-red new growth that matures to glossy dark green; small yellowish-white flowers in long panicles; and clusters of round to oval fruits 2.5-5 cm across with a distinctive rough red-pink bumpy rind. Inside, the aril (flesh) is translucent white, sweet and juicy, with a floral aroma and a single glossy brown seed in the center. Lychee is rich in vitamin C (providing over 100% of daily value per 100g), vitamin B6, potassium, copper, dietary fiber, and antioxidant polyphenols including oligonol. In Indian cuisine, lychee (called lichi in Hindi, lichu in Bengali) is mostly eaten fresh as a seasonal summer fruit, but also features in juices, smoothies, litchi raita, ice creams, and desserts. The famous Muzaffarpur region of Bihar produces the prized Shahi Lychee (GI-tagged), and other major lychee-growing regions include West Bengal (Malda), Uttarakhand (Dehradun), Punjab, Assam, and Tripura. The fruit has a short shelf life when fresh — it ferments quickly — so it is often canned in syrup or dried as “lychee nuts.” The tree requires cool, dry winters (with temperatures dropping to 5-10°C) to initiate flowering, which limits its cultivation to specific climatic zones in India.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun
Regular; consistent moisture critical
High (60-85%)
20-35°C (needs cool winter for flowering)
Acidic well-draining loam; pH 5.0-6.5
Acid-forming feed every 2-3 months
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Southern China and Northern Vietnam
- 📏 Max height
- 6-15 m
- 📐 Spread
- 4-8 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring; panicles of small yellow-white flowers
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellowish-white
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Glossy dark green compound leaves with copper-red new growth
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 50-100+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate — fruits in 5-8 years (seedling), 3-4 (air-layered)
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic; safe for humans and pets
- 🌱 Propagation
- Air layering (most common), grafting, seeds (variable)
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic; safe for humans and pets
Common issues
- Lychee mite (eriophyid mite distorting leaves)
- fruit borer
- leaf roller
- anthracnose
- root rot from poor drainage
- algal leaf spot
- sunburn on young fruit
- chlorosis in alkaline soil
- poor fruit set from inadequate winter chill
💡 Care tips
- Plant in full sun in deep, acidic, well-draining soil — lychees hate alkaline soils and waterlogging.
- Plant air-layered or grafted trees (not seedlings — they take 5-10 years to fruit and quality is variable).
- Space trees 6-8 m apart.
- Water consistently — lychees have shallow roots and cannot tolerate drought
- mulch heavily to retain moisture.
- Apply acid-forming fertilizer (such as rhododendron/camellia food) every 2-3 months during growing season
- supplement with iron chelates if leaves yellow (chlorosis).
- Do NOT prune heavily — lychee fruits on new growth from the previous season.
- Protect from strong winds (shallow root system).
- Trees require cool, dry winters (15-20 chill hours below 10°C) for good flowering
- in too-warm winters, flowering is poor.
- Harvest fruit clusters when skins are fully red and a few fruits drop — lychees do not ripen off the tree.
- For best flavor, harvest in the cool morning and refrigerate immediately
- lychees ferment within 1-2 days at room temperature.
- The peel should be bright pink-red, not green.
- Popular Indian cultivars include Shahi, Rose Scented, Early Seedless, China, Calcutta, and Bedana.
- Trees fruit for 50-100+ years.
