About Wai Chee Lychee Tree (Litchi Chinensis)

The Wai Chee Lychee tree is a semi dwarf tree. It can produce fruits for over 100 years! Find out all facts and further references about this tree below.

Wai Chee Lychee Tree (Litchi Chinensis)

Semi Dwarf/Air Layered

a) Lychee trees can live for over 100 years.

b) They start producing in 4 to 5 years and become fully productive within 10 years (air layered).

c) Wai Chee is a late fruiting variety, producing fruit in South-East QLD from February to April.

d) It can produce fruit for over 100 years.

e) Lychee trees originate from the Guangdong and Fujian provinces in south-eastern China.

f) The average annual rainfall in the area of origin (wettest part of China, South East) is 1250mm to 2000mm.

g) Latin name of tree and family: Litchi chinensis, from the soapberry family, Sapindaceae.

h) Other products, benefits, useful or interesting facts about of tree:

When fully productive, lychee trees can produce up to 200 kilos of
Lychees can be eaten fresh, in salads, smoothies or desserts, and it can also be dried and stored for up to a year to be used as a snack or added to salads.
Though uncommon, lychees can also be made into sauces, preserves or wine.
Lychees are quite high in vitamin C, as well as vitamin B, potassium, thiamin, niacin, folate, and copper, and have been used for medicinal purposes such as weight control, protection against colds and infections, and in fighting inflammation.
Tea is sometimes made from the skins of lychee fruit to treat smallpox and diarrhea.
The seeds are ground in India to treat stomach ailments.
Sore throats are treated with a decoction of bark, root and lychee blossoms.
Lychee seeds contain a naturally occurring amino acid, hypoglycin A (higher levels in unripe fruit), which affects blood glucose levels and causes hypoglycemia. It’s recommended that fruit consumption be limited and avoided on empty stomach.
Lychee wood is a form of hardwood that is extremely dense, durable and hard, and it’s used to make furniture like tables and countertops.
Lychee wood is also used to make charcoal and for smoking in BBQs.

More facts about the Wai Chee Lychee Tree:

i) The Wai Chee lychee tree is semi-dwarf, growing up to 5m in height, with round canopy and dense foliage. Non-dwarf lychee trees grow up to 20m tall.

j) Lychee trees require a tropical climate with high summer heat, rainfall, and humidity. They are evergreen, self-pollinating trees that prefer well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and lots of mulching. Netting is required to protect fruits from birds and fruit bats. Mature fruit can hang on the tree for several days, which adds some flexibility to harvesting and extends the production season.

Lychee seedlings and grafted trees that have reached maturity have well developed vertical taproots that can extend a few meters down into the ground towards the water table.

Air layered trees have no main taproot and instead have entirely shallow lateral branching root systems often called skeleton roots. These skeleton roots have their entire network in the top layer of soil to a depth of about 20cm. Therefore, other plants beneath the lychee tree should be avoided as the roots of these plants will compete for nutrients.

Lychee trees are low, dome-shaped with thick branches, compact foliage, and many growing points. They are susceptible to wind damage unless thinned out and the lower branches removed.