Lychee: The Chinese Imperial Fruit
Lychees were so prized in 8th-century China that Emperor Xuanzong built imperial relays to deliver fresh fruit to his concubine. A 2,000-year history.
The lychee (Litchi chinensis) is one of southern China's most celebrated fruits. The famous Tang Dynasty emperor Xuanzong (8th century CE) built a special imperial relay system to deliver fresh lychees from southern China to his beloved consort Yang Guifei in the northern capital โ at the cost of exhausting horses and riders, by some accounts.
Origin and history
The lychee is native to southern China, specifically the Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Cultivation dates back over 2,000 years. The fruit reached India and Burma in the 1700s; Madagascar in the 1800s; and Florida in the early 1900s.
Where lychees grow today
China is the largest producer, followed by India, Madagascar, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, and South Africa. Florida and Australia produce small commercial quantities.
How to grow lychees
- Climate: Subtropical. USDA Zones 10-11. Need warm summers and cool (but not freezing) winters for flowering.
- Soil: Acidic, well-drained, pH 5.0-6.5.
- Sun: Full sun.
- Spacing: 6-10m between trees.
- Planting: From an air-layered or grafted tree, not seed (seedlings grow but rarely fruit well).
- Watering: Consistent.
- Fertilizing: Light annual feeds with micronutrients.
- First fruit: 4-7 years.
Varieties
- Brewster โ popular in Florida, large bright red fruit.
- Mauritius โ early-season export variety.
- Sweet Cliff โ Australian, very sweet.
- Wai Chee โ late-season Chinese cultivar.
Bottom line
Sweet, floral, and historically the favorite fruit of a Chinese emperor. Subtropical gardeners โ plant one for decades of fragrant fruit no supermarket can match.