Common Name: Litchi

General Information

Litchi chinensis is a slow-growing, very ornamental, evergreen tree with a dense, wide crown; it can grow 4 - 20 metres tall[, , ]. The bole is short and stocky[].
A very popular fruit, especially in the Orient, where it is widely consumed. The tree has been cultivated for over 2,000 years[]. Nowadays it is commonly grown in tropical and subtropical areas, mainly in the East, but cultivation has also spread to Africa and the Americas[, , ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines.

Habitat

The tree has been in cultivation for so long that wild forms are no longer believed to exist[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Ants, Wasps
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Litchi is adapted to the tropics and warm subtropics, producing best in regions with winters that are short, dry and cool but frost free, and summers that are long and hot with high rainfall[]. In the tropics it may thrive better at some elevation because of its requirement for winter chilling[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 35°c, but can tolerate 15 - 40°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,700mm, but tolerates 700 - 2,800mm[].
A position in full sun is best for fruit production, but young plants grow better if they are given some shade[]. Plants are tolerant of a range of soil types, including heavy clays, so long as they are well drained, but grow best on deep, rich, acid soils that are rich in organic matter[, ]. They have succeeded on limestone soils when iron chelates have been added[]. Tolerant of wet soils, providing the water is not stagnant[]. Plants require a position that is sheltered from the wind, especially when they are young[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 8.5[].
Most varieties need between 50 - 150 hours of standard chilling at 0 - 10°c[]. The trees have a positive requirement for winter chilling to between 7 - 12°c, and a dormancy period to induce flowering[]. Various cultivars have been developed with differing degrees of winter chilling requirements[].
Plants are slow to mature, but are long-lived[]. Seedling trees take 8 - 12 years before they commence fruiting[]. Grafted trees can commence fruiting when 2 - 5 years old, though full cropping does not take place until the trees are 20 - 40 years old and they can continue cropping for 100 years or more[].
Fruit yields for 10-year-old trees range from 10 - 80 kg/tree, or 0.7 - 11.2 tonnes/ha[]. Average yields are often only about 2 tonnes/ha[].
There are many named varieties[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The white, translucent fleshy arils are sweet, juicy and subacid, with a delicious flavour that is somewhat reminiscent of Muscat grapes[, ]. Much eaten raw, they can also be dried, spiced, pickled, canned in syrup, used in jams, sauces, ice creams, fruit salads etc[].
The dried fruits, called lychee nuts, have a distinctive smoky flavour and are widely eaten in China[]. Rich in vitamin C[].
The pink to strawberry red fruit is 25mm or more in diameter and is covered by a rough leathery rind or pericarp[]. The fruits are borne in loose clusters of 3 - 20[].
The smooth fruits of lowland-grown 'water lychee' are commonly preferred to the rather prickly fruits of 'mountain lychee' grown in the hills[].

Medicinal

The fruit, its peel and the seed are used in traditional medicine; decoctions of the root, bark and flowers are used as a gargle to alleviate throat ailments[, ].

The fruit peel is used in the treatment of diarrhoea[].

Seeds are used as an anodyne in neuralgic disorders and orchitis[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is sometimes grown to provide shade[].

Other Uses

The bark contains tannin[].

The wood is very durable and is said to be nearly indestructible, although it is brittle and has few uses[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it has a very short viability and needs to be sown as soon as it is removed from the fruit[]. Sow the seed 1cm deep in containers. The seeds germinate without pre-treatment when sown fresh[]. Young seedlings grow vigorously until they reach 24 - 30cm[]. The quality of seed-grown plants will be quite variable[]. Trees can take 15 years to produce their first crop from seed[].
Air layering. Rates of success are usually not less than 95%[].
Greenwood cuttings
Grafting

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