Lychee Trees, Delivered and Planted in Southwest Florida
Lychee is a tropical fruit tree that can fruit well in a sunny, well-drained Southwest Florida yard, and it doubles as dense evergreen shade. Expect sweet, perfumed fruit about three to five years after planting, ripening from late spring into early summer. It wants full sun, room to spread, and a yearly prune to stay pickable. Our 15 gallon lychees come from our own nursery, Palm & Plant Co., and our crew plants and waters them in.
- Light:
- Full sun
- Water:
- Regular while young and from flowering through harvest; moderately drought tolerant once established
- Salt:
- Low, keep it off salt spray and brackish irrigation
Lychee Tree sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Lychee Tree | 15 Gallon |
Lychee Tree in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 30 to 40 ft tall and wide if left alone; easily held to 12 to 20 ft with yearly pruning
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular while young and from flowering through harvest; moderately drought tolerant once established
- Salt tolerance
- Low, keep it off salt spray and brackish irrigation
- Cold tolerance
- Young trees need frost protection; established trees take a brief light frost, but a hard freeze can burn leaves and flowering wood
- Growth rate
- Slow to moderate
- Spacing
- At least 20 ft from the house and other large trees
- Florida native
- No, native to southern China
- Botanical name
- Litchi chinensis
Where Lychee Tree works in a SW Florida yard
Treat lychee as a specimen or the anchor of a small fruit planting. The canopy is dense, rounded and evergreen, so a mature tree throws real shade over a patio or lawn. Put it where it gets full sun, drains well, and has 20 ft or more on every side, then plan a yearly prune after harvest to hold it at picking height.
Longan, jaboticaba and carambola share the same sun and regular water, which makes a mixed fruit planting simple to care for.
- Backyard fruit tree
- Dense evergreen shade
- Edible landscape anchor
- Mixed tropical fruit planting
How our crew plants it
Pick a full-sun spot with well-drained sandy soil, away from low areas where water stands after rain. Dig a hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and no deeper, set the top of the root ball level with or a touch above the soil, and backfill with native soil without rich amendments.
Water thoroughly and mulch 3 inches deep, keeping mulch off the trunk. Stake only if the tree rocks. Extra watering is allowed for new plantings in Lee and Collier, so keep the soil moist, never soggy, for the first couple of months.
Care after planting
- Water young trees regularly, and keep moisture steady from flowering through harvest; mature trees do not need constant watering.
- Feed a few times a year with a fertilizer that includes manganese, zinc and iron; micronutrients are fine in summer, but nitrogen and phosphorus are off limits in Lee County, Naples and Marco Island from June 1 to September 30.
- On bearing trees, hold nitrogen in February and March so the tree flowers instead of pushing leaves.
- Prune right after harvest, in summer, to keep the tree at picking height and open the canopy.
- Net the tree as the fruit starts to color; birds, squirrels and raccoons will beat you to ripe lychees.
What to watch for
- Lychee erinose mite is the worst lychee pest in Florida; curled leaves with brown, felt-like patches underneath are the sign, so prune off affected tips and ask your county UF/IFAS Extension office about treatment.
- Lychee wants slightly acidic soil, and limerock fill or the soil beside foundations and driveways can run high in pH, which shows as yellow leaves with green veins; chelated iron and manganese help.
Lychee Tree questions we hear
Can you grow lychee trees in Cape Coral and Fort Myers?+
Yes. Lychee thrives in USDA zones 10A and 11, which covers Lee and Collier counties, and it likes sandy, well-drained soil. The two catches are frost on young trees and warm winters that can mean a light crop. Plant it in full sun, cover small trees on frost nights, and expect your best crops in cooler years.
How long does a lychee tree take to fruit?+
Most lychee trees give a first crop about 3 to 5 years after planting, and harvests grow as the canopy fills out. Fruit ripens from late spring into early summer, roughly May through July, with the peak in June. Pick it fully colored, since lychees do not ripen after they are picked.
How big does a lychee tree get, and can I keep it small?+
Left alone, a lychee grows 30 to 40 ft tall and as wide, and it can go larger. You can hold it to picking size: prune right after harvest, taking the top and sides back to about 12 to 20 ft, and repeat every year. Even a pruned tree needs about 20 ft of clear space from the house.
Why is my lychee tree not flowering?+
The usual reasons are age, a warm winter and nitrogen late in winter. Young trees often need three or more years before they flower, lychee sets buds after cool winter weather, and nitrogen in February and March pushes leaves instead of blooms. Hold nitrogen on bearing trees in late winter and be patient through mild years.
What soil does a lychee tree need in Southwest Florida?+
Lychee prefers slightly acidic, well-drained, sandy soil, which most Lee and Collier yards offer. Trouble starts where limerock fill or alkaline soil near a foundation raises the pH and turns leaves yellow, or where water stands after rain. Pick a spot that drains, and use chelated micronutrients if leaves yellow.
How much does it cost to have a lychee tree delivered and planted?+
Price depends on the tree size, how many you want and where it goes, so we text a planted price rather than posting a number. Send your address and the spot you have in mind, and we usually reply within the hour during the day. Half down holds the tree and a delivery day.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Lychee Tree
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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