Gardening Plants & Flowers Trees

How to Grow and Care for Lychee Trees

This rare fruit has a sweet, citrusy taste after a successful harvest

Lychee is a tropical broadleaf evergreen tree native to China, where it grows in a warm, humid climate. Although grown commercially for its fruit (not its flowers), in landscapes it is often used as a shade tree or a specimen fruit tree.

Lychee tree branches with red circular fruits hanging off stems closeup

The Spruce / K. Dave

Like many other tropical fruits, such as avocado, lychee is not a natural choice for indoor gardeners. It's more of a novelty plant and will be unlikely to ever bear fruit or grow to maturity (unless you have a greenhouse). The plant, while requiring a subtropical climate, needs at least 100 chill hours to produce flowers that bear fruit. Still, it can be fun to sprout these seeds in an attempt to grow an attractive plant. Be aware that it can take around three to five years before this slow-growing tree bears fruit and 10 years or more if it was grown from seed.

Because it needs subtropical conditions, it is not a tree that can be grown across wide areas of North America. It can be successfully grown in warm states like Florida and sheltered locations in California. Planting is typically done in the spring after the risk of frost has passed. It is a slow-growing tree, taking as much as 30 years to reach 30 feet in height.

What Is Lychee Fruit?

The fruit of this tree consists of small, dimpled, fleshy drupes (clusters of three to 50 tiny fruits) with a light, perfumed flavor. The outside of the fruit has a rough, pink-red skin that is inedible and the inside flesh is clear to white and sweet. Trees usually do not produce fruit until they are at least three to five years old—it sometimes takes even longer. The fruit is usually eaten fresh or frozen and can be made into sauces, jam, puree, or preserves.

Common Name Lychee, litchi
Botanical Name Litchi chinensis
Family Sapindaceae
Plant Type Fruit, tree
Mature Size 20–110 ft. tall, 30-50 ft. wide
Sun Exposure Full sun
Soil Type Moist, well-drained
Soil pH Acidic
Bloom Time Spring
Flower Color White, yellow, green
Hardiness Zones 10–11 (USDA)
Native Areas Asia

How to Plant Lychee Trees

Lychee trees are best planted at least 30 feet away from your home, other major structures, or other trees in your home landscape. Planting them too close can impact their growth and fruit harvest, particularly if they are shaded.

If you are in an area prone to flooding, planting the tree on a mound of soil can help to ensure water runoff. Lychees dislike wet feet.

Plant a lychee tree in a full sun location that is protected from wind, because this tree can be susceptible to wind damage. Spring planting, after any frosts have passed, is best.

Lychee Tree Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a lychee tree:

  • Plant the tree in full sun, but first acclimate it.
  • Place the tree in well-draining soil that is on the acidic side.
  • Keep the tree on a watering schedule, it will only tolerate some drought.
  • Treat the tree to high humid conditions when possible.
  • Protect the tree from even moderate windy conditions that will damage new, delicate growth.
Red lychee fruit hanging off stem in front of leaves closeup

The Spruce / K. Dave

Lychee fruit tree with bright green leaves and red circular fruit hanging

The Spruce / K. Dave

Red lychee fruit piled on each other

The Spruce / K. Dave

Light

Lychee thrives in full sun, but be aware that the plants need to be acclimated. Young plants that are not used to full sun will suffer from sudden exposure to bright light, but once acclimated, they will definitely perform better.

Soil

Lychee does not like alkaline soils, so amending garden soil with pine bark or pine needles may be necessary. If you are trying to grow it as a potted plant, use slightly acidic potting soil that is well-draining.

Water

These plants prefer ample and regular water throughout the year. Some research has shown that a mild drought stress in the fall and early winter can enhance flowering. Water young trees frequently, as soon as the soil feels dry. More established trees can be watered once a week.

Temperature and Humidity

Lychee is surprisingly tolerant of cold and can cope with short blasts of almost freezing weather, but it really prefers warmer temperatures. To be brought to bloom, lychee needs to be exposed to cold temperatures (32 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 100 hours in the winter. They will then bloom early in the spring and bear fruit in the early summer. These trees love high humidity but will fail in windy conditions due to damaged new growth.

Fertilizer

Feed once or twice during the growing season (spring and summer) with a weak liquid fertilizer.

Types of Lychee

Many different cultivars of lychee are used in different areas of the world. These are the most popular cultivars in the United States:

  • Litchi chinensis 'Mauritius' has excellent fleshy fruit with just one large seed. It is a good choice if fruit production is your main goal.
  • L. chinensis 'Brewster' is a vigorous growing tree with a spreading upright habit. It is well suited for areas that get a lot of moisture. It is also a good cultivar for fruit production.
  • L. chinensis 'Emperor' is considered one of the best container varieties, as it is a slow-growing tree with a compact growth habit.

Harvesting Lychee Fruit

Lychee trees usually take at least five years to mature before bearing any fruit, though in rare instances they may start producing fruit within three years. You must expose the tree to cold temperatures for at least 100 hours in the winter if you want it to bloom and then bear fruit, and the female flowers have to be pollinated. In an orchard, pollination is done by insects, but for indoor trees, you will have to hand-pollinate.

The fruits of the lychee grow in clusters of three to 50 fruits, usually ripening in June to July, and sometimes into September. Allow them to ripen on the tree to a pink-red color. Do not harvest when the fruit is green, as it will not ripen further once harvested. You can test one fruit in a bunch to see if it is sweet enough. Cut the entire bunch of fruit close to the branch to harvest.

A mature lychee growing in ideal circumstances may produce a copious amount of fruit, but they can be notoriously fickle about producing fruit. Unless the tree gets the requisite cold snap in the winter (32 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit for about 100 hours), it may not produce flowers or fruit at all for the normal summer harvest period. You can maximize the chances of flowers and future fruit by pruning off new growth immediately after the harvest is complete, which will stimulate new natural growth.

Potting and Repotting Lychee

Lychee often grows to 35 or 40 feet when planted in the landscape, but they can be maintained as small patio trees in warmer climates. In pots, the plants should be repotted every spring until they reach your ideal growing size. To help keep the plant smaller, aggressively prune the main growing trunks annually to encourage a smaller, bushier plant.

Pruning

Pruning right after harvesting the fruit encourages regrowth and allows new shoots and leaves to develop before the weather cools down—if the tree doesn’t fruit, pruning can also encourage fruiting the following year.

Propagating Lychee

Lychee is typically propagated commercially by air-layering. This is a sophisticated technique where growers make a cut into a thin branch and then surround it with a packet of moist moss or soil. Roots will form in the cut area, allowing the grower to cut off the whole branch and plant it as a small tree. The best time to air-layer a lychee tree is in spring, but it can also be done in the fall.

For a home grower, here’s how to propagate lychee by air-layering:

You will need a sharp knife, rooting hormone (optional), a growing medium like sphagnum moss, plastic wrap, zip ties (or electrical tape or string), a pot, and slightly acidic, well-draining soil.

  1. Choose a healthy, straight branch that’s 1 to 2 years old.
  2. Pick a point 12 to 18 inches from the tip of the branch, and clear a 1-foot section of any leaves.
  3. Create a wound, in the cleared area, using a sharp knife. Cut a ring around the branch, and 1 inch below, another ring; connect the two rings with a vertical cut, and remove the bark and the soft tissue of the cambium layer, leaving the woody center.
  4. Apply rooting hormone, if using, to the wound.
  5. Apply moist sphagnum moss around the wound; make sure it’s squeezed of excess water.
  6. Wrap the sphagnum moss with plastic wrap so that it's completely sealed tightly; the packed moss should be 3 to 4 inches thick around the wound.
  7. Secure the plastic-wrapped wound with zip ties (or electrical tape or string).
  8. Check for moisture and roots; if the moss is dry, spray with water to make it moist again. Roots should appear in 8 to 12 weeks if air-layered in the spring.
  9. Once roots appear, cut the stem just below the rooted area.
  10. Remove the plastic wrap—but leave the moss so the roots are not disturbed—and plant the branch in a pot filled with slightly acidic, well-draining potting soil. Place in a spot with bright, indirect light and keep the soil evenly moist until the roots are well established.

How to Grow Lychee From Seed

A home grower is more likely to start lychee from seed. Take these steps:

  1. To sprout seeds, first soak them for three days in water.
  2. Then plant soaked seeds in a 12-inch tall pot filled with well-draining potting soil.
  3. Cover them 1 inch deep with potting soil.
  4. Keep them warm and moist.
  5. Wait for sprouts to emerge (which can take weeks).
  6. Once they've sprouted, move to a sunnier spot after a few weeks.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Keep a lookout for mealybugsaphids, and mites. Signs of infestation include tiny webs on plants, clumps of white "powdery" residue, or visible insects on the plant. A product like pyrethrum is made to control aphids and pests that flock to fruit trees. Spray it on the lychee per the product directions and it should kill the pests on contact. Treat infestations as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading to the rest of your collection.

Anthracnose is the main fungal disease that attacks this tree. Brown or black lesions may appear on leaves or fruit. The fruit can become entirely rotted. Remove infected areas of the plant and lightly spray the tree with a copper-based fungicide.

How to Get Lychee Trees to Bloom

Lychee trees can be inconsistent when it comes to flowering and bearing fruit each year, which can depend on the variety, tree care, and weather conditions.

Bloom Months

Lychee trees typically bloom between February and April. 

What Do Lychee Flowers Look and Smell Like?

About 3,000 mini, light greenish-yellow flowers with white stamens sprout on panicles that are 1½ to 2½ feet long, but only a small number of flowers get pollinated, which leads to fruit. Lychee flowers do not have petals or fragrance. Fruit emerges from pollinated flowers in June and July.

How to Encourage More Blooms

To get lychee trees to bloom and bear fruit, they require pruning after the growth season in late summer and a dormant period in the winter. Pruning encourages new growth of buds before the tree goes into a dormant period in winter where temps must stay below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, but above freezing, for 3 to 5 months. Blooms should follow in the spring, and if they do, the tree should start to fruit in early summer.

Even in the best conditions when growing requirements are met, tree flowering and fruiting can vary from year to year. 

Common Problems With Lychee

A lychee tree is relatively easy to grow given the right conditions. However, there are a few signs of problems to keep in mind:

Fruit Split

The tree is experiencing too much water, either from heavy rainfall after a dry period or too much manual watering.

Tree Not Fruiting

The tree is likely too young to fruit. Grafted trees take around five years to begin fruiting and trees grown from seed can take over 15 years to fruit. If it is an older tree, it could be that the plant did not get enough chilling hours in during its dormancy to fruit well.

Leaf Drop

The tree could have been exposed to too much cold or freezing temperatures and has cold damage. Depending on the age of the tree, it can become damaged if temperatures drop between 24 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

FAQ
  • Where do lychee trees grow best?

    In the United States, parts of Florida and California offer the best conditions for growing a lychee tree. The tree requires a dry, cold (but not freezing) winter that lasts up to five months, plus a warm spring, and hot, humid summer.

  • How long can a lychee tree live?

    Though it's unknown exactly how long a lychee tree can live in the United States, it is considered to be a long-lived tree. There are reports of lychee trees over 1,000 years old in China.

  • Can a lychee tree grow indoors?

    Though a lychee tree can grow in a container, it's not optimal to grow one indoors. You can try, but it will not last long and will never bear fruit.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  2. Su Z, Xiao Q, Shen J, Chen H, Yan S, Huang W. Metabolomics analysis of litchi leaves during floral induction reveals metabolic improvement by stem girdlingMolecules. 2021;26(13):4048. doi:10.3390/molecules26134048

  3. Tips on Getting Your Lychee Tree to Produce Fruit. Lychees Online.

  4. Lychee. University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources.

  5. How to Propagate Houseplants by Air Layering and Simple Layering. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

  6. Air Layering Lychee Trees. Lychees Online.

  7. Flowering in Lychee Trees. Lychees Online.

  8. Lychee Growing in the Florida Home Landscape. University of Florida Extension Office.

  9. Lychee. Perdue University.