List of all Fruits: Lychee

List of all Fruits: Lychee

Lychee or litchi trees produce their tasty fruits during a very short period each year, but canned fruits can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Family: Sapindaceae
Order: Sapindales

Origin: Southern China, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia
Distribution:

Evergreen or deciduous: Evergreen
Flowers: The small flowers are greenish-white or yellowish-white and are produced in panicles of up to 30 cm long.
Fruits: Lychee fruits are 3-4 cm long and about 3 cm in diameter. The fruit is covered by a red, roughly-textured skin. This peel is inedible but can be easily removed. The inside of the fruit consists of sweet, translucent white flesh surrounding a single glossy brown nut-like seed. This sweet flesh is eaten. The seed (about 2 cm long and 1–1.5 cm in diameter) is poisonous and should not be eaten.
Leaves: Lychee has alternate pinnate leathery leaves. Each leaf 15–25 cm long, with 2-8 lateral leaflets that are 5–10 cm long. Young leaves have a bright coppery red color at first. Later they turn shiny bright green.
Climate and weather: Lychee is adapted to warm to cool subtropical areas. It requires seasonal temperature variations for good flowering and fruiting. A certain amount of chilling is necessary for flower bud development, but warm, humid summers are favorable for flowering and fruit development.
Pollination: Bees and flies.
Height: Can reach 12-15 or even 20 meter but often smaller.
Type of soil: Requires a well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter.