53 Lychee Facts That Will Make You Go Looking For One

Lychee is a perennial plant and it has the same name as the fruit it produces.

Lychee is native to southern China; however, it is also grown in various other tropical regions of the world.

Lychee is known by different names in different countries. In China, lychee is sometimes known as Chinese strawberry because it is native to this region, and the fruit it produces looks like a bumpy strawberry from the outside.

Lychees are consumed fresh or as part of other dishes, such as fruit salads. Children and adults alike love to eat lychees whenever they are available.

Symbols of love and romance are associated with lychees in China. China and India are the two largest and most popular producers of lychees in the world. Lychees are sometimes added to recipes to add more flavor, and these fruits are eaten in many different ways. 

Different parts of the lychee plant and fruit are used in the creation of traditional medicines in various cultures. Like many other fruits, lychee also has numerous health benefits. 

Read on to find out some more interesting facts about delicious lychees.

Facts About Lychee

Lychee is an edible fruit with a naturally sweet taste, and many people love to eat lychee fruit alone or as part of a dish. Some fascinating facts about lychee fruit are mentioned below.

• The tropical fruit of lychee is part of the Litchi genus.
• The scientific name of lychee is Litchi chinensis, and it belongs to the Sapindaceae family, which is also commonly known as the soapberry family.
• There are still wild lychee trees growing on Hainan Island and in certain parts of southern China.
• Lychees have an exterior made of a hard shell-like cover that is red in color when the fruit is ripe.
• This exterior cover is green in color when the fruit is raw.
• It can have a smooth texture or a rough one with small and sharp protuberances.
• On the inside, there is a clear jelly-like substance covering the seed of the fruit. This is the edible flesh of lychee fruit which has a slightly pinkish-white color.
• In addition to having a sweet flavor, the edible portion of lychee also has a floral smell.
• Lychee seeds, on the other hand, are dark brown and not edible.
• Sweet-flavored lychees can be eaten fresh or frozen and made into jams, sauces, puree, and preserves.
• Frozen lychee is said to taste like sorbet.
• The shape of lychee fruits varies from being round or oval to a heart shape.
• Lychee trees have brownish-red branches that are low spread. They also have short trunks that are covered with barks of smooth texture and black or grey color.
• The leaves of the lychee plant have a shiny, leathery texture and are present in pairs of two to four leaflets that are thin.
• The average height of lychee trees is about 20 ft -40 ft (6m - 12 m).
• Lychee is a monoecious plant that develops individual female and male flowers.
• Lychee blooms in the Northern Hemisphere between November and February, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it blooms between April and August.
• Bees are the main pollinators of lychee, which are attracted to the plant by its fragrant flowers.
• Lychee flowers exist in colors such as green, white, and yellow.
• The flesh of the lychee is considered to have a texture that is similar to the grape's texture.
• The maturity period of lychee fruits is around 80 - 112 days, and it is dependent on factors such as cultivar, climate, and location.
• 'Chicken tongues' is the term used to refer to the shriveled aborted seeds produced by some cultivars.
• Lychee fruits that have chicken tongues produce more edible flesh and are thus more expensive than typical fruits.
• The canning process of lychee makes the fruit lose its floral-scented taste.
• While being nutrient-rich, lychee fruits also contain a high amount of water and sugar.
• The powder of the seeds of lychee has been used as a traditional cure for intestinal problems in India for generations.
• The process of cultivating lychee began around 1059 AD in parts of southern China, northern Vietnam, and Malaysia.
• According to a few legends, lychee was consumed as a delicacy in China's Imperial Court.
• Michal Boym, who was a missionary of the Polish Jesuit order, had introduced and described lychee to the western world for the first time in 1656.
• The scientific description of lychees was provided by Pierre Sonnerat when he came back from his journey to south-east Asia and China.
• During the first century, there was such high demand in the Imperial Court for fresh lychees that the fruit was brought in from Guangdong through a special courier service that made use of fast horses.
• 'Lychee nuts' is the term used for referring to dried lychees, even though they are not really nuts.
• It can be confusing and a little difficult to identify the numerous lychee cultivars and properly name them.
• Different fruits can be produced while using the same cultivar in varied climates.
• Original Chinese names of the main cultivars are used in Australia and countries in south-east Asia.
• The Groff lychee cultivar, usually seen in the United States, was invented in Hawaii.
• In India, there are more than a dozen lychee cultivars that are generally grown. These include Dehra Dun, Kalkattia, Early Large Red, and Rose Scented.
• One of the lychee cultivars grown in India is the Shahi cultivar which produces the highest percentage of pulp.

Lychee's Side Effects

While lychee as fresh fruit has many benefits, overconsumption of lychee can also pose various disadvantages. Read on to discover the dangers of lychees.

• Lychees must be consumed less by diabetic patients due to the high amount of sugar present in them.
• According to both Eastern and Western health professionals, diabetic patients should limit their consumption of lychee to only six or fewer lychees at a time.
• An individual scheduled for surgery must stop using lychee extract as early as two weeks before the date of their operation.
• Studies suggest that lychee tea is capable of increasing the symptoms of certain autoimmune diseases.
• Some people can also develop allergies to lychees and thus suffer from an allergic reaction upon consumption of the fruit.
• According to Chinese doctors, overconsumption of lychee can result in fever, seizure, unconsciousness, and hypoglycemia.
• Excessive lychee consumption may also cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal problems.
• Eating lychee seeds can be poisonous and cause digestion problems.
• Experts consider lychee a hot food because it can cause an imbalance in nutrient levels of the body.

Benefits Of Lychee

Fresh lychee has many health benefits due to its high nutritional value, so read on to find out why lychee is still generally a healthy fruit to consume. Several health benefits of lychees are listed as follows.

• As per the United States Department of Agriculture, lychees contain many nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and folate.
• Lychee is also a good source of protein and dietary fiber.
• Studies suggest that the dietary fiber present in lychees can improve digestive health by easing bowel movements through the digestive tract.
• It is further suggested that it can also reduce the risk of gastrointestinal disorders and constipation by stimulating digestive and gastric juices to better absorb nutrients.
• The high amount of vitamin C in lychees is said to boost the immune system.
• The antioxidant properties of this vitamin can also improve skin health and reduce damage caused to the skin by free radicals.
• The fruits possess anti-acne anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties, to effectively combat microbes causing acne and thus reduce inflammation and acne scars.
• Lychees are considered to be a good source of organic compounds.
• Recent research has indicated that the therapeutic effects of consuming lychee could aid in treating colon cancer; however, it depends on the individual case and should not be considered a definite cure.
• A study published by researchers from Southwest Medical University focuses on lychee seeds' neuroprotective effect.
• As a natural diuretic, lychee is considered to alleviate pain caused by kidney stones and aid in reducing the development of blood clots.
• Research has found that because lychee has a high potassium content and low sodium levels, it can help in balancing fluids present in the human body.
• Having a good fluid balance further helps with hypertension.
• Studies suggest that potassium can also help in reducing constriction of blood vessels and arteries, thus it lowers stress on the cardiovascular system.
• The potassium in lychee, studies say, can also help to regulate blood pressure.
• According to a few studies, lychee contains a phenolic compound, which can be quite powerful and can improve health by reducing weight, protecting the skin from UV rays that can be harmful, improving blood circulation, and protecting against influenza viruses.
• Copper is another nutrient found in lychees that is significant for the formation of red blood cells (RBCs).
• Consuming lychees and the copper in them can improve blood circulation.

Lychee Plants' Habitat

The lychee tree requires certain climates and conditions to grow and produce sweet-tasting fruits. Read on to find out more about where lychee plants grow. The growing conditions of the lychee plant and its various cultivators are mentioned below.

• Being a tropical plant, lychee requires a tropical climate whose temperature does not drop below 32 F (0 C) and is also frost-free.
• The soil used for cultivating lychee plants must be well-drained and slightly acidic with rich mulch and organic matter.
• Lychee trees develop flower buds successfully during the cold weather of winter and produce fruits during the warm and high temperatures of summer.
• The cultivation of lychee is high in southern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
• Other parts of south-east Asia also produce high quantities of lychee.
• Various tropical regions of other countries in the world and the Indian subcontinent are also known for cultivating lychee.
• Different regions grow varied lychee cultivars depending on the climate and other conditions best suited for the specific cultivars.