Lychee
A slow-to-fruit tree, but a summer luxury worth the wait.
Litchi chinensis
A gorgeous evergreen shade tree that pays you in ruby fruit, when the winter cooperates.
Why it works here
Lychee is a beautiful, glossy, evergreen tree that earns its keep as shade even in the years it barely fruits, and the fruit itself is one of the best things you can grow in South Florida. It needs a cool, dry winter spell to trigger heavy flowering, which our Treasure Coast winters usually deliver, though not every year. Mauritius is the most consistent producer I know of, with Brewster also widely grown.
Care
Keep young trees watered and mulched, and protect the trunk flare by not planting too deep, lychee sulks when buried. Feed with compost and balanced organic fertilizer during the growing season, and ease off nitrogen in fall so the tree can respond to winter chill and flower. Water well once you see fruit set, because uneven water at that stage causes drop and cracking. Prune after harvest to control that upright, tangled growth and keep the fruit reachable.
Common problems
Erratic bearing: lychee is famous for a big year followed by a light one, and warm winters can mean little or no fruit. The honest caveat: some years you get buckets, some years almost nothing, and there is no organic fix for a warm winter.
Lychee erinose mite: a serious, hard-to-control pest that deforms leaves, flowers, and fruit into fuzzy erineum galls. The cultural response is to prune out and destroy affected growth quickly, start with clean nursery stock, and keep the tree open and vigorous.
Lychee webworm: webs and chewed blooms. Prune out and destroy nests by hand.
Common questions
Why didn't my lychee fruit this year?
Most likely the winter stayed too warm. Lychee needs a stretch of cool, dry weather to flower well, and a mild Florida winter can skip it entirely. It is not something you did wrong, and a cooler winter usually brings it back.
Can I grow one from a seed I saved?
You can sprout the seed, but it may take many years to fruit and often will not match the parent. Buy an air-layered tree of a named variety like Mauritius for reliable, earlier fruit.
How big does it really get?
Left alone, 30 to 40 feet. But it takes pruning well, and most home growers keep it in the 12 to 15 foot range so the June fruit is within reach.
Interested in a lychee in your landscape?
We plan, install, and care for it. Start with a paid consultation.