Overview

Immerse yourself in the world of tropical fruit gardening with the exquisite Brewster Lychee live plant. This particular variety, known as ‘Brewster’, is celebrated for its exceptional quality and vigorous growth. Originating from China, the lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a captivating evergreen tree, prized for its succulent, fragrant fruit. Our Brewster Lychee live plant is an airlayered specimen, ensuring it will mature faster and bear fruit sooner than trees grown from seed. Standing at an impressive 2 to 3 feet tall and shipped in a 3-gallon pot, this tree is ready to establish itself in your garden or a large container, bringing the promise of a bountiful harvest of delicious, deep red lychee fruit.

The ‘Brewster’ variety is a favorite among commercial growers and home gardeners alike due to its reliable yield and superior fruit characteristics. If you’re looking to grow lychee fruit, this airlayered tree offers a head start, making it an excellent choice for both novice and experienced tropical fruit enthusiasts. Its upright growth habit and attractive foliage also make it a beautiful ornamental addition to any landscape.

Key Benefits

Cultivating a Brewster Lychee live plant offers a multitude of rewards, from its aesthetic appeal to the delicious fruit it produces. This tropical gem is more than just a tree; it’s an investment in future harvests and a touch of exotic beauty for your home or garden.

• Exceptional Fruit Quality: The ‘Brewster’ lychee is renowned for its large, deep red fruit with a sweet, aromatic, and juicy flesh, offering an unparalleled eating experience. You’ll love being able to grow lychee fruit that rivals store-bought varieties.
• Vigorous Growth Habit: This variety is a strong, upright grower, making it a robust and resilient addition to your garden. Its healthy growth contributes to its ability to produce abundant fruit.
• Airlayered for Faster Fruiting: As an airlayered tree, your Brewster Lychee live plant is a clone of a mature, fruit-bearing tree, meaning it will typically produce fruit much sooner than a seedling. This method ensures you get a high-quality, productive tree.
• Ornamental Appeal: Beyond its delicious fruit, the lychee tree boasts attractive evergreen foliage, providing year-round beauty and a tropical ambiance to your outdoor space or a sunny indoor area.
• Rewarding Home Harvest: Experience the satisfaction of harvesting your own fresh, organic lychees. There’s nothing quite like enjoying fruit picked directly from your own lychee tree care efforts.
• Suitable for Container Growing: While it thrives in the ground in warm climates, the ‘Brewster’ lychee can also be grown successfully in large containers, making it adaptable for patios or areas where it can be moved indoors during colder months.
• Unique Culinary Ingredient: Fresh lychees are perfect for eating out of hand, adding to fruit salads, desserts, smoothies, or even savory dishes, bringing an exotic flavor profile to your culinary creations.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper lychee tree care is essential for a healthy and productive Brewster Lychee live plant. Lychees thrive in tropical and subtropical climates, requiring specific conditions to flourish. They prefer a location with full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Adequate sunlight is crucial for fruit production and overall tree health. While they can tolerate some partial shade, especially during the hottest part of the day in very warm climates, full sun is ideal.

When it comes to watering, consistent moisture is key, particularly during flowering and fruiting periods. The soil should be kept moist but not waterlogged. Good drainage is paramount to prevent root rot. Watering frequency will depend on your climate, soil type, and whether the tree is in a pot or in the ground. For soil, lychees prefer a slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5-7.0) and a rich, well-draining loam. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter to improve drainage, and sandy soils to improve water retention. Fertilize regularly with a balanced fertilizer, especially one formulated for acid-loving plants, during the growing season. Reduce fertilization during dormancy. Protect young trees from strong winds and frost. If you’re looking to grow lychee fruit in a cooler climate, consider growing it in a large pot that can be moved indoors during winter.

Size & Details

This Brewster Lychee live plant is an impressive specimen, standing approximately 2 to 3 feet tall from the base of the pot to the top of the foliage. It is an airlayered tree, a horticultural technique that encourages faster establishment and earlier fruit production compared to trees grown from seed. The tree is shipped securely in a 3-gallon nursery pot, providing a robust root system for successful transplantation. Lychee trees are moderate growers, and with proper lychee tree care, this plant will continue to develop into a mature, fruit-bearing tree. Expect fruit production to begin within a few years under optimal conditions. The ‘Brewster’ variety is known for its strong, upright growth habit, potentially reaching heights of 20-30 feet in ideal outdoor conditions, though it can be maintained at a smaller size with regular pruning, especially when grown in containers.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: This Brewster Lychee live plant is currently 2 to 3 feet tall. In optimal outdoor conditions, mature ‘Brewster’ lychee trees can reach 20-30 feet, but they can be kept smaller with pruning or when grown in large containers.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: Your Brewster Lychee live plant will arrive securely planted in a 3-gallon nursery pot, ensuring a healthy root system for easy transplanting to its permanent location.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Lychee trees are tropical plants that thrive outdoors in USDA zones 9-11. In cooler climates, they can be grown in large containers and moved indoors during winter to protect them from frost, which is part of effective lychee tree care.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This Brewster Lychee live plant requires full sun exposure, ideally 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, to ensure vigorous growth and abundant fruit production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While lychees require specific conditions like full sun, consistent watering, and well-draining soil, they are generally considered moderately easy to care for if these requirements are met. It’s a rewarding experience to grow lychee fruit.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your airlayered lychee plant will be carefully packaged to ensure it arrives in excellent, healthy condition, ready for planting. We take great care in preparing our plants for shipment.
• Q: How long until it blooms and fruits? A: As an airlayered tree, your Brewster Lychee live plant is already a mature clone and typically begins to bloom and produce fruit within 1-3 years of planting, much faster than a seedling.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature this plant can tolerate? A: Lychee trees are sensitive to frost. They can tolerate brief dips to around 30°F (-1°C) but extended periods below freezing will cause damage or be fatal. For best results, protect from temperatures below 35-40°F (2-4°C).
• Q: Can I grow lychee fruit in a container? A: Yes, ‘Brewster’ lychee trees can be successfully grown in large containers, especially in regions with colder winters. This allows you to easily move the tree indoors for protection.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for lychee trees? A: Lychees prefer slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5-7.0), well-draining soil rich in organic matter. A good quality potting mix amended with compost works well for container growing.