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{{SPlantbox
{{SPlantbox
|familia=Sapindaceae
|genus=Litchi
|species=chinensis
|common_name=Lychee, Litchi, Leechee, Lichee, Lichi
|habit=tree
|Min ht metric=cm
|Min ht metric=cm
|Max ht box=40
|Max ht metric=ft
|origin=S China
|lifespan=perennial
|exposure=sun
|water=moderate
|features=fruit
|Temp Metric=°F
|Temp Metric=°F
|image=Upload.png
|sunset_zones=21-25, 27
|image=Litchi_chinensis_fruits.JPG
|image_width=240
|image_width=240
|image_caption=Fruit on tree
}}
}}
'''Growth Habit''': The lychee tree is handsome, dense, round-topped and slow-growing with smooth, gray, brittle trunk and limbs. Under ideal conditions they may reach 40 feet high, but they are usually much smaller The tree in full fruit is a stunning sight.
'''Foliage''': The leathery, pinnate leaves are divided into four to eight leaflets. They are reddish when young, becoming shiny and bright green. Lychee trees have full foliage and branch to the ground.
'''Flowers''': The tiny petalless, yellowish-green flowers are borne in in terminal clusters to 30 inches. Lychees are eye-catching in spring when the huge sprays of flowers adorn the tree. Flowering precedes fruit maturity by approximately 140 days.
'''Fruits''': The fruit is covered by a leathery rind or pedicarp which is pink to strawberry-red in color and rough in texture. A greenish-yellow variety is not grown in California at present. Fruit shape is oval, heart-shaped or nearly round, 1 to 1-1/2 inches in length. The edible portion or aril is white, translucent, firm and juicy. The flavor is sweet, fragrant and delicious. Inside the aril is a seed that varies considerably in size. The most desirable varieties contain atrophied seeds which are called "chicken tongue". They are very small, up to 1/2 inch in length. Larger seeds vary between 1/2 to 1 inch in length and are plumper than the chicken tongues. There is also a distinction between the lychee that leaks juice when the skin is broken and the "dry and clean" varieties which are more desirable. In some areas lychees tend to be alternate bearers. Fruit splitting is usually caused by fluctuating soil moisture levels.
'''Adaptation''': Lychees require seasonal temperature variations for best flowering and fruiting, Warm, humid summers are best for flowering and fruit development, and a certain amount of winter chilling is necessary for flower bud development. Most varieties need between 100 and 200 hours of standard chilling (32° - 45° F). Cool winters with low rainfall are ideal for lychees. The trees become more hardy as they age. Mature trees have survived temperatures as low as 25° F when fully hardened off. Young trees may be killed by a light frost. Lychees can be successfully grown in frost-free coastal areas of California. There are trees in San Diego, California that are over 90 years old with no sign of decline in sight. It first fruited in Santa Barbara in 1914. They can be grown for a short period in a large container.
{{Inc|
{{Inc|
Litchi chinensis, Sonn. (Scytalia chinensis, Gaertn. Dimocarpus Lichi, Lour. Nephelium Litchi Camb.). Litchi or Leechee. Fig. 2184. Lfts. 2-4 pairs, elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, glabrous, lustrous above, glaucescent beneath. China. A.G. 12:269.—Not to be confounded with the longyen (see Euphoria) or the rambutan (see Nephelium).
Litchi chinensis, Sonn. (Scytalia chinensis, Gaertn. Dimocarpus Lichi, Lour. Nephelium Litchi Camb.). Litchi or Leechee. Fig. 2184. Lfts. 2-4 pairs, elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, glabrous, lustrous above, glaucescent beneath. China. A.G. 12:269.—Not to be confounded with the longyen (see Euphoria) or the rambutan (see Nephelium).
The Chinese cultivate several named varieties, and there are at least eight known in India, of which the best are said to be McLean's and Bedana ("seedless"), the latter having a very small stone which is usually sterile. Firminger mentions one variety in India which is green in color and of a distinct and very sweet flavor.
The Chinese cultivate several named varieties, and there are at least eight known in India, of which the best are said to be McLean's and Bedana ("seedless"), the latter having a very small stone which is usually sterile. Firminger mentions one variety in India which is green in color and of a distinct and very sweet flavor.
}}
}}
:''More information about this species can be found on the [[Litchi|genus page]].''
:''More information about this species can be found on the [[Litchi|genus page]].''
==Cultivation==
==Cultivation==
'''Location''': Lychees need full sun, but young trees must be protected from heat, frost and high winds.
'''Location''': Lychees need full sun, but young trees must be protected from heat, frost and high winds.
==References==
==References==
*[http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/lychee.html California Rare Fruit Growers: Lychee Fruit Facts]
*[http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/lychee.html California Rare Fruit Growers: Lychee Fruit Facts]
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
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*{{wplink}}
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