The small, reddish fruits with the hard but thin skin are also known as litchi or lychee. In its southern Chinese homeland, the plum-like fruit is also known as the "love fruit". Lychees are millennia-old cultivated fruits that have been cultivated in the subtropical regions of China for more than 2000 years.
Lychees come from the subtropics
Lychees come from the lychee tree, which is native to the subtropics and does not tolerate cold and wind very well. In the homeland of the lychee tree, winters are short and dry, while summers are hot and humid. It rains almost every day. The trees are about 10 to 12 meters high and are very productive - one tree can produce up to 300 kilograms of fruit. The lychee has been cultivated for at least 2000 years, and the fruit was first mentioned in a Chinese document from 1059 AD.
Worldwide cultivation
The lychee originally came from southern China, more precisely from the area of today's provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien. Supposedly there are still villages where lychee trees over 1000 years old bear fruit. As early as the 17th century, lychee made its way to neighboring subtropical countries such as Burma and India. Today the fruit is grown worldwide in the appropriate climate zones. There are plantations in the southern USA, Australia, the Canary Islands, Southeast Asia, Madagascar, Israel, Mexico, Brazil and Hawaii.
tips and tricks
Lychees can also be cultivated in what is actually an uncomfortable German climate - breeding in a greenhouse makes it possible. Basically, the lychee tree is quite undemanding when it comes to its care.