How to grow Lychee in Australia
Lychee is a handsome evergreen tree from subtropical China that bears clusters of red, sweet, juicy fruit in summer. It needs warm, humid summers and a cool, dry winter to flower well, which is why it crops best from the Atherton Tablelands down the Queensland coast to northern New South Wales.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Lychee in Australia
At a glance
When to plant by region
| Region | When to plant | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | September to November | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | September to November | |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | September to November | Marginal tropical; only select cold-hardy varieties (Bosworth3); unreliable fruiting. |
| Melbourne & Victoria | Not suited | Marginal. Needs long warm season (150+ days) and cool winter for flower induction. Melbourne's short warm season and unpredictable frost risk make it unreliable. |
| Adelaide & SA | Not suited | Mediterranean: unsuitable. Lychee requires subtropical warmth and winter chill; outside Mediterranean range. |
| Perth & WA | Not suited | Mediterranean: unsuitable. Lychee requires subtropical warmth and winter chill; outside Mediterranean range. |
| Tasmania | Not suited | Unsuitable. Needs a long warm season. Not viable in Tasmania. |
| Canberra & ACT | Not suited | Not viable. Subtropical; killed by hard frost. Try persimmon or fig instead. |
| North Queensland | September to November | Spring Sep to Nov. Lychee needs dry subtropical winter for chill; marginal in Darwin, excellent in Cairns dry tropics. |
| Darwin & Top End | September to November | Spring Sep to Nov. Lychee needs dry subtropical winter for chill; marginal in Darwin, excellent in Cairns dry tropics. |
Where to plant
Choose an open, sunny, frost-free site protected from strong winds, especially hot westerlies, with deep, well-drained soil improved with compost and aged manure. Lychee trees are dense and can be damaged by strong wind, and the fruit splits if the tree dries out.
Lychee flowers well only after a cool, dry spell in winter. Where winters stay warm, as on the hot tropical coast, the tree keeps making leafy growth instead of flowers and crops are irregular.
- South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers: good lychee country, and the main growing districts include the Sunshine Coast hinterland and the north coast of New South Wales.
- North Queensland: excellent on the Atherton Tablelands and in the drier Mareeba district; less reliable on the wet coast.
- Darwin: marginal, because the winters are too warm for regular flowering.
- Sydney: marginal. Choose an early, reliable variety such as Bosworth 3 and the warmest, most sheltered spot; fruiting is not guaranteed.
- Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Hobart: not suited.
Choosing a variety
Buy marcotted (air-layered) or grafted trees of a named variety. They are true to type and bear years earlier than seedlings.
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| Kwai May Pink (Bosworth 3) | Early season, small seed and very sweet; a reliable cropper and the best choice for marginal areas |
| Wai Chee | A good all-rounder with small to medium fruit, a compact tree and late season crops |
| Salathiel | Mid season, excellent quality fruit with a very small seed; protect from wind when young |
| Erdon Lee | Very large, dark red fruit with a larger seed, on a wide, spreading tree |
How to plant
- Plant in spring, or in late summer or autumn in frost-free areas.
- Dig compost and aged manure into a wide planting area.
- Handle the tree gently by the pot, not the stem, as the roots tear easily.
- Plant at the same depth as in the pot, water in deeply and mulch heavily, keeping mulch off the trunk.
- Stake the tree and add a tree guard. Young trees benefit from some shade cloth for the first year or two until they adjust to full sun.
Watering and feeding
Lychee roots are shallow and the tree is sensitive to drying out. Keep the soil evenly moist, and water regularly through spring and summer while the fruit develops, which also helps prevent fruit splitting. In the dry, cool part of winter before flowering, the tree needs less water.
Feed lightly once after planting, then every 3 to 4 months in the second to fourth years. Mature trees are fed at flowering and again after harvest. Keep a thick layer of mulch over the root zone.
Pruning and care through the year
- In the first four years, prune to build a well-branched, even framework, shortening long limbs to encourage new shoots.
- Bearing trees need little pruning. Remove low branches that let leaves and fruit touch the ground, and keep the tree low enough to net.
- Net or bag the fruit as it develops. Birds such as lorikeets, flying foxes and possums are often the biggest cause of crop loss. Use wildlife-friendly netting with fine mesh that animals cannot get tangled in.
- Check new leaves for erinose mite and buy trees only from a clean nursery source.
Harvesting
Lychees do not ripen after picking. Harvest when the skin has turned orange-pink to deep red, depending on the variety, and the fruit tastes sweet. Cut whole clusters with secateurs with a little stem attached.
Depending on variety and district, fruit ripens from November to March. Fresh lychees keep up to a week in a bag in the fridge, and peeled fruit freezes well.
Pests and diseases
In home gardens, animals take more fruit than insects do, but one mite can stop a tree fruiting.
Pests to watch for
- Erinose mite Reddish-brown, velvety growth under the leaves and twisted new growth. The mites are too small to see. Prune off and destroy infested shoots.
- Fruit fly Puncture marks and rotting fruit with maggots inside. Pick fruit as it ripens and clear away fallen fruit.
- Birds Fruit pecked or stripped as it colours, along with damage from flying foxes and possums at night.
Diseases to watch for
- Anthracnose Brown spots on leaves and dark, sunken patches on fruit in wet weather.
Common questions
How long does a lychee tree take to fruit?
A marcotted tree usually starts fruiting in about 3 to 4 years and reaches full production at about 10 years. Seedlings take much longer and may not be true to type.
Why is my lychee tree not flowering?
Lychee needs a cool, dry spell in winter to flower. In warm winters it keeps making leafy growth instead, which is why cropping is irregular on the hot tropical coast and in Darwin. Young trees also need a few years before they flower.
Can I grow lychee in Sydney?
It is marginal. Choose a reliable early variety such as Kwai May Pink (Bosworth 3), plant it in the warmest, most sheltered spot, protect it from frost when young, and expect fruiting to vary from year to year.
Why are my lychees splitting?
Splitting is linked to uneven moisture while the fruit is growing. Water regularly through spring and summer and keep a thick mulch over the shallow roots so the soil stays evenly moist.
What is the brown furry growth under my lychee leaves?
That is lychee erinose mite. The mites are invisible to the eye and cause reddish-brown, velvety growth under the leaves, and heavy infestations can stop flowering. Prune off and destroy infested growth.
How do I stop birds and bats eating my lychees?
Net the whole tree or bag the fruit clusters before they colour. Use wildlife-friendly netting with a fine mesh, and keep the tree pruned to a size you can cover.
Sources we checked: Business Queensland: Lychee erinose mite; Glasshouse Country and Maleny News: Growing lychees in the garden; CSIRO Publishing, Australian Journal of Agricultural Research: temperature and lychee flowering; Rare Fruit Council archives: Lychee and longan become a major industry in Australia; Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery: Lychee.