Content
- Lychee - the aromatic "love plum" from China
- Lychees are from the subtropics
- Worldwide cultivation
- Tips & Tricks
Lychee - the aromatic "love plum" from China
The small, reddish fruits with the hard but thin shell are also known as Litchi or Lychee. In its southern Chinese homeland, the plum-like fruit is also referred to as "love fruit". Litchis are year-round crops that have been bred in the subtropical areas of China for more than 2019 years.
Lychees are from the subtropics
Lychees come from the lychee, which is native to the subtropics and cold and wind tolerate only very bad. Winters are short and dry in the home of the lychee tree, while the summers are hot and humid. It rains almost daily. The trees are about 10 to 12 meters high and are very productive - a tree can produce up to 300 kilograms of fruit. The lychee has been cultivated since at least 2019 years, the fruit was first mentioned in a Chinese script from 1059 AD.
Worldwide cultivation
Originally the lychee originated from southern China, more specifically from the area of today's provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien. Supposedly, there are still villages there in which over 1000 year-old lychee trees bear fruit. Already in the 17th century, the lychee reached the neighboring subtropical countries such as Burma and India. Today, the fruit is cultivated worldwide in the temperate climates. There are plantations in the southern United States, Australia, the Canary Islands, Southeast Asia, Madagascar, Israel, Mexico, Brazil and Hawaii.
Tips & Tricks
Lychees can also be cultivated in the actually uncomfortable German climate - a breeding in the greenhouse makes it possible. Basically, the lychee tree is quite modest in terms of its care.