Lychee 'Brewster' (Litchi chinensis)
Brewster Lychee is a tropical/subtropical fruit tree with a reliable nature to fruit and flower, making it great for a home or commercial landscape.The Brewster Lychee fruit has one of the best flavors, with the small trade-off of a slightly larger inner seed. Like other Lychee varieties, Brewster Lychee fruit has a unique purple-red outer shell and translucent flesh and texture of a grape and a sweet slightly tangy flavor.
The cultivation of Lychee in China dates so far back that historians have yet to track down a truly wild species of it. Brewster Lychee is the second-most cultivated Litchi tree in the United States, perfectly adapted to the long Floridian growing season. It was introduced by an American missionary to China, Rev. William N. Brewster, hence the name, but the Chen Purple Lychee is the parent tree.
Plant Type:
Subtropical Evergreen Fruit Tree
Harvest Season:
Late Spring, Summer
Mature Size:
Up to 20-40 ft tall with an equally wide canopy. Very easy and fun to prune and maintain at smaller sizes and are well-suited for container growing.
Soil & Moisture:
Good drainage, rich soil, and irrigation are essential for the early success of this tree. Well-draining soil is essential for Lychee tree growth and they do very well planted on mounds to promote drainage. Requires regular watering until well-established. Increase watering during flowering and fruiting season. Does not like standing water or too much salinity.
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade
Self-Fertile:
Yes
Growth Rate:
Fast
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-11 (frost protection until established); Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Mature Lychee trees are cold tolerant to at least 26 degrees.
Propagation:
Our Lychee trees are air-layered and capable to produce within 1 or 2 years.
Shop all of our Lychee tree varieties.
