Litchi chinensis Seeds | Lychee
LATIN NAME: Litchi chinensis
COMMON NAME: Lychee
Plant Profile
Litchi chinensis, commonly known as Lychee, is a tree in the soapberry family. Lychee tree holds its glossy, compound leaves and large panicles of small, pale-green flowers, and round, red, warty fruits hang in loose clusters. It is a tree of open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground. It is hard to name another plant that gives this much for this little trouble.
Science & Biotechnology
Litchi chinensis sits in the soapberry family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. A long cultivation history means growers know what to expect from it.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Lychee earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Lychee tree is a fine, generous tree of warm garden and fruit garden. It is a fine, generous tree of open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden. Give young trees deep, rich, moist bed, and red fruits will come in years to come. Getting it going is easy; keeping it going is easier still.
Lychee is a vitamin-C-rich dessert fruit loved across Asia; in Chinese folk practice its seeds are used for moving qi, and its pericarp polyphenols are studied as antioxidants. Enjoy the fruit in moderation, as its natural sugars are rich.
Growing from Seed
Starting Lychee from seed is simple and satisfying. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Once established, Lychee largely looks after itself. Minor errors in timing or watering rarely cost the grower the crop.
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