The litchi fruit, whose historical homeland is China, grows on an evergreen tropical tree about 30 m high. These edible fruits are small in size, light in weight and oval in shape. Under a dense, bumpy red skin, there is a tender jelly flesh with a large seed. Because of the white flesh and the dark seed, the Chinese often call lychees "the eye of the dragon."
Litchi fruit grows in the countries of South-East Asia, where it is grown, as a rule, for export. Lychee is used both in fresh form and in desserts. Also, the fruit can be eaten in dried form - this delicacy is called "litchi nut", as the flesh dries up and freely rolls inside the hardened skin. In addition to cooking, lychee is used in oriental medicine for the treatment of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, anemia , gastritis, diabetes, etc.
How does lychee grow at home?
Instead of paying fabulous money for exotic fruits brought from abroad, try to grow lychees by yourself. This can be done by planting a bone of the eaten fruit, but not the fact that the resulting plant will inherit the qualities of the parent. Therefore, larvae are propagated in a vegetative manner, usually by airlifting or by grafting.
As for the conditions of growing a litchi tree, the main thing is to ensure high humidity. As the active growth of this plant under natural conditions occurs during the rainy season, it is very important to regularly water and spray the litchi to provide it with the required moisture level. In the first year, transplantation into a larger capacity will require lychee thrice. Also, protect the plant from drafts and direct sun rays.
When growing at home, lychee can bear fruit, but the beginning of fruiting will have to wait a long time, about two decades.