Master the Sweetheart Lychee Tree: Planting and Care Steps
Growth Habit and Fruit Production
The Sweetheart lychee is one of the three main lychee varieties grown in Florida, alongside Mauritius and Brewster, and it has more reliable bearing volumes than Brewster. That doesn't mean it fruits every single year, because unreliable bearing is the biggest challenge with lychees in general.
Lychees are evergreen, with a dense, rounded canopy that reaches nearly to the ground, and a tree left alone can climb to 40 feet. They also send up a lot of upright shoots. As the tree matures, you'll want to remove the strong verticals and encourage side branches.
The fruit is round to oval and about 1 to 1.5 inches across, with bumpy red skin and juicy, translucent white flesh around one seed. A single tree usually sets an acceptable crop on its own, but a second variety nearby may improve fruit set.
Sweetheart Lychee Tree Climate Requirements
Lychees grow in USDA zones 10A through 11. They fruit best where winters are dry and cold, but not freezing, for 3 to 5 months, followed by a warm spring and a hot, humid summer.
A lychee has more cold tolerance than a mango but less than a sweet orange, and it doesn't acclimate to cool weather. Young trees are damaged at 28°F to 32°F, and large trees can suffer extensive damage or even die at 24°F to 25°F after several hours.
Young trees also struggle in windy spots, so a site with some protection helps. A container works too if you'd like to keep the tree on a patio. Just plan on moving the pot into a garage or house whenever a freeze is in the forecast, and know that a potted tree won't match the crop of one planted in the ground.
Sweetheart Lychee Tree Planting and Care Tips
Start with the spot. Lychees want full sun and soil that drains well, and they grow best in acidic sand with some organic matter. If your yard floods after summer storms, build a mound 2 to 3 feet high and 4 to 10 feet wide and plant on top of it.
When you're ready to plant, clear a ring of sod about 3 to 10 feet across. The hole should be roughly three to four times as wide as the nursery pot and about three times as deep. That gives the roots loose soil to spread into. You don't need to add fertilizer, topsoil, or compost. If you'd still like to mix in compost, keep it to half or less of the soil you backfill with.
Set the tree so the nursery soil sits level with or just above the ground, press the soil in gently, and water. If you stake the tree, use cotton or natural twine instead of wire or nylon as it's much gentler on the branches.
For the first few years, water regularly while the tree gets established. During the fall and winter, hold back on irrigation until bloom, which can improve flowering. Water again from flowering through harvest to help the fruit. Stop watering by the end of August unless a severe drought hits.
Young trees under 4 years old need about ¼ to ½ pound of a complete fertilizer every 8 weeks. After the tree starts bearing, avoid nitrogen from August until early spring, because nitrogen at the wrong time pushes leafy growth instead of flowers. Mulch 2 to 6 inches deep helps hold moisture, and it should stay 8 to 12 inches from the trunk. Keep a grass-free circle 2 to 5 feet wide around the trunk, too, since mowers and string trimmers can seriously damage the bark.
Prune right after harvest, so the tree has time to push new growth before winter. After several years of bearing, you can cut the top back to 10 to 15 feet. Leave the lower limbs in place, because they shade the ground and can flower and fruit.
Fruiting Timeline and Harvest
A grafted or air-layered lychee generally begins bearing 3 to 5 years after planting. Trees grown from seed can take 10 years or more. Flowers show up between late December and April, most often in February and March. Warm winters can cause low yields because the tree grows leaves instead of flowering, which is a reason why reliable bearers like Sweetheart or Mauritius are such popular picks.
Florida's lychee season generally runs from mid-May to early July, depending on the variety. Let the fruit ripen on the tree, as fruit picked early isn't as sweet. Cut the main stem several inches behind a cluster instead of pulling individual fruit off. Lychees taste best soon after harvest, and they'll keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 days.
Disease Resistance
Sweetheart lychee is considered one of the more disease-resistant lychee cultivars. It has better resistance to anthracnose than many other varieties, which is key as anthracnose is one of the main diseases that can affect lychee fruit near ripening. The lychee erinose mite is the only other serious concern. It attacks leaves, stems, flower buds, and fruit, and a heavy infestation can cut fruit production by as much as 80%.
Overall, sweetheart’s stronger resistance makes it a more dependable choice for growers looking for a hardy tree with fewer disease issues.
Getting Your Sweetheart Lychee Started Right
Give your tree full sun, a well-drained spot, and room to grow, and keep it out of freezing weather. Water it well while it's young, ease off in the fall, and hold the nitrogen after August. Prune right after harvest, and give it 3 to 5 years to settle in before you expect a crop.
Ready to plant? Take a look at our Sweetheart Lychee Tree, grown right here in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sweetheart Lychee Self-Pollinating?
A single tree usually sets an acceptable crop on its own. Planting a second variety nearby may improve fruit set under some conditions.
How Long Does a Sweetheart Lychee Take to Fruit?
Air-layered or grafted trees begin to bear 3 to 5 years after planting.
When Is Sweetheart Lychee Ready to Harvest?
Lychees in Florida ripen from mid-May to early July, with the most fruit in June.
Can You Grow a Sweetheart Lychee in a Pot?
Yes, though a potted tree won't produce as much as one in the ground. Move the pot into a garage or house before a freeze.
What Zones Does a Sweetheart Lychee Grow In?
USDA zones 10A through 11. Young trees are damaged at 28°F to 32°F.
References
University of Florida IFAS Extension, "Lychee Growing in the Florida Home Landscape"
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG051
University of Florida IFAS Extension, "Lychee," Gardening Solutions
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/lychee/
University of Florida IFAS Extension, "Cost and Profitability Estimates for Producing Lychee (Litchi chinensis) in South and Central Florida"
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FE1127
UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, "Tropical Fruit Factsheet: Lychee"
https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/miami-dade/documents/tropical-fruit/TFG-Lychee.pdf
University of Florida IFAS Extension, "Growing Fruit Crops in Containers"
https://mail.growables.org/information/documents/GrowingFruitCropsInContainers.pdf
