I've only had Ohia. I am growing Red and Pink Ohia....but they are later plantings that have not fruited as of yet.

Harry

Brad - where were you that you tasted all of these varieties ? I have heard that Ohais are not great producers in South Florida, well, SE Florida. I am not saying they can't produce but I have heard of people claiming that if you only have room for one or two lychees, to pick another variety. If you are going by PI's claims/recommendations/opinions, I warn you to beware. I won't say much more than that.

Rob

My Ohias have been productive for me. I had three trees. One, was a mislabelled tree. My original idea in planting out lychee cultivars was to plant two of each type to possibly overcome alternate year bearing to some degree if that occurred. I did lose one of my Ohias to Hurricane Wilma. The other two remaining trees have produced regularly and nicely. Not so, however, with the Pink and Red Ohias. Although they are later plantings, the Red Ohia has been large enough to bear for several years and has not put on any fruit thus far.

Harry

Harry - your post seems to contradict itself. You say you Ohais have been productive in the first sentence but then the last sentences say they have not...

Rob

Hi Rob,

I have tried different lychees at Pine Island (not the company name), FL in the town of Bokeelia.

We have tried Hak Ip, Brewster, Mauritius, Kwai Mai Pink, Emperor, and Ohia.

We do not have a huge yard, so maybe you're right Rob. We may need to do a Hak Ip, which might be a more reliable bearer than Ohia...?

I already have a 7 gallon Sweetheart tree which looks like it might be getting ready to set some fruit next season (no new leafy growth recently, and lots of little buds just barely protruding from the growth nodes).

I read that cross pollination may increase the yield from the trees. So of course, that was all I needed to justify a second purchase :)

Brad

Rob.....no, there was no contradiction. I may have phrased poorly, but what I meant to say was that my two original Ohia trees produce fine, year in and year out without fail. The newer planted Pink Ohia and Red Ohia trees, on the otherhand, have not produced as of yet. I am making the assumption, however rightly or wrongly, that these are three distinct varieties. Until I am shown or told differently, that is my understanding.

Harry

Guess I'll have to frequent the rare fruit club sales in Florida :)

I'm thinking Kaimana or Ohia....that is, of course, if I'm fortunate enough to locate one of these trees.

I read that Kaimana is a Hak Ip seedling, which gives me some confidence as to its production/performance in South Florida, as Hak Ip seems to be the old standby variety grown here in SW Florida.

Brad

You sure Hak Ip is an "old standby" ? From the commercial lychee groves I know of, the varieties of choice seems to be Mauritius and Brewster, which are known to be a heavy producers of quality fruit. Kaimana may be known for quality fruit but it is not known for being the best production-wise in Florida. By all means it is your choice, just trying to give some helpful advice.

Rob

Rob - well at least the last 2 years on Pine Island, Hak Ip has been the most commonly available. Then again, who knows how many trees the sellers had of each variety, and which percentage performed well.

The more I learn about the lychee varieties and their irregular bearing in Florida, the harder it is to make a decision.

We sampled Brewster, and didn't care for the large seed (especially after having Hak Ip's smaller seed and larger flesh). Mauritius seems to have a similar seed/flesh ratio and has been noted as having tartness, which isn't what I'm looking for either.

Brad

The other thing to think about is production seems to vary with

1. Location - south west Florida gets colder than here in broward/miami.
2. Soil - Harry seems to get fabulous production on most of his lychee trees while I've seen other trees (eg, brewster) in different soil conditions that are basically ornamentals with a once per 3 year crop.

I must have skewed taste buds, but I think the mauritius is downright delicious !

Jeff

Jeff - no, you taste buds are fine. I too, as many do, feel Mauritius is sweet and delicious. If what Brad has was "tart", it was either not ripe or poorly grown. With almost all varieties I have tasted, when grown well and picked fully ripe/mature, they are sweet. Do some have greater sweetness with difference nuances, yes, but the only lychee I have tasted that resembled anything close to tart were picked to early (usually the first of the season).

I agree soil and location play a role in productivity but I also feel so does season climate that varies from year to year.

Rob

Then Mauritius may be one to consider. It seems to have among the most reliable production in Florida based on what I've read.

Is the seed large and the flesh small? I felt that way with the Brewster.

Brad

Brad - it is a relatively large sized lychee. Flesh to seed ration is above average in my opinion with some chicken tongue seeds but not like the Hak Ip and , well, Sweetheart.

Since you already have a Sweetheart, I would go with either a Hak Ip or Mauritius for their combination of quality and quantity. I do like experimenting myself but with respect to the lychee, sometimes gotta go with what'll get ya what you want, especially when you are limited on space.

Rob

Rob

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Young lychee trees will deliver $50.00 Please contact if interested south florida 305 304 5386