Summary: Litchi chinensis (lychee) is a plant in the Sapindaceae family. Verdica documents 0 traditional uses, 0 phytochemical compounds, and 0 herb-drug interactions for this species.
Litchi chinensis or known in various common names such as litchi, lychee, liechee, liche, lizhi, or lichee is the only known species in the Litchi genus in the Sapindaceae family. It is a slow-growing, evergreen fruit tree with a dense and wide crown and can grow up to 28 m in height. It has a short bole with grey-black bark. The leaves are 10-25cm or longer, shiny, leathery, and light green but reddish when young. The fruit is fleshy, and covered by a pink-red, roughly textured rind. It varies in shape from round to ovoid to heart-shaped. It has a sweet and delicious flavor. It is usually consumed raw but it can also be dried or cooked. The fruit is also used in traditional medicine to threat throat discomfort, diarrhea, neuralgic disorders, and orchitis. The bark contains tannin. The wood is highly durable. Litchi is grown in East Asia particularly in southern China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Philippines. It relatively matures slowly but it is long-lived. It is propagated by seed, air layering, greenwood cuttings, and grafting.
| Sunlight | Full sun to partial shade |
| Watering | Moderate — regular during establishment; drought tolerant once mature |
| Soil | Well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral |
| Hardiness Zone | USDA 3-10 |
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