While lychee fruit is the most obvious payoff that you get from a lychee tree, you might be surprised to learn about other facts and uses for this evergreen tree.
Lychee wood is limited in terms of commercial usage since the trees usually don’t grow higher than about 40′ and the trunk additionally is not particularly thick. Lychee wood can be used for small furniture and artisan crafts and may be used for larger objects like custom wood tables.
Here are 6 lychee tree questions answered in detail to illustrate how it does more than just produce a popular fruit.
What is the lychee tree?
The lychee is a subtropical evergreen native to Southeast Asia and is mostly grown commercially in China, Taiwan, Thailand, India and Madagascar. The lychee tree is also known as lichee, litchi and litsiyas (Philippines) among other names.
The lychee tree is considered a high value fruit crop and usually begins producing some fruit at 3-5 years of age. It might not fully bear fruit until the 10 year mark and may produce up to 440 lbs (200 kg) of lychees yearly by that point.
Lychees like to have full sun and plenty of water around the roots so deep watering once or twice per week is ideal. They grow best in deep and well-draining soil conditions.
What do lychee trees look like?
Lychee trees grow to about 40′ (12 m) in height and have dark green leaves with a pointy tip. An evergreen that sheds leaves and quickly regrows them, lychee trees produces small white and greenish yellow flowers in addition to the lychee fruit that is borne each year. Lychee is a hardwood and considered very versatile for many commercial uses.
Lychee tree bark is a gray to black color and branches are a reddish brown. Lychee wood is a brownish red color and has a noticeable and fine grain pattern that changes directions in a zig zag pattern.
The lychee fruit grows in clusters of 3-50 at a time and begins as a green oval-shaped bulb about 1.5″ in size with small bumps all over. The lychee fruit develops into a darker red when ripe and when it’s ready to be picked. The actual fruit when peeled is white, juicy and somewhat transparent inside.
Depending on where the tree is located, lychee trees flower in the summer months with fruit being ready for harvesting around 140 days after flowering. Typically May – August is when fruit becomes ripe for picking.
What Janka hardness rating does lychee wood have?
Lychee wood score 950 lbf (pounds-force) on the Janka hardness rating scale. This means it’s slightly under the recommended 1000 lbf level generally used for hardwood flooring although given the nature of lychee trees, it isn’t big enough to be used as such anyways. Lychee wood is durable, hard and very dense which makes it useful for other purposes.
At 950 lbf, lychee wood has the same hardness as black cherry wood but is slightly less than black walnut (1010 lbf) and much softer than hard maple (1450 lbf).
If not for the fact that lychee trees don’t grow as large as other trees, the wood produced would work well for large furniture like tables and for flooring among other uses.
What commercial uses exist for lychee wood?
Lychee wood is used for jewelry, tool handles, carvings and small furniture such as custom tables.
Due to the relatively small height and trunk size of the lychee tree, it’s not a choice for flooring and is limited in terms of its use for large furniture. Pieces of lychee wood tend to be relatively thin too so while you will see lychee tables, they tend to custom built based on the size of the wood available.
As we’ll see below, lychee wood has usages for food preparation including smoking and otherwise burning for heat and fire.
Is lychee wood good for smoking?
Lychee wood gives a fruity taste when used for smoking foods not surprisingly with an aromatic but not overpowering smell. Lychee is often used in China to smoke Peking Duck among other woods. Given the prevalence of lychee trees in other parts of Southeast Asia, it’s a common wood for food smoking and in fires.
Lychee wood can generally be burned both dry and when still green and in Asian countries you can buy charcoal made from lychee given how prevalent the wood grows in the region. So lychee is a good option for smoking foods if you are able to procure some.
What can typically be smoked with lychee? Poultry, lamb, beef, duck and other foods can commonly be successfully smoked.
Some people will also heat pizza ovens with lychee wood again because of the availability and how easy and slow the wood burns with a quick flame.
One tip to burn lychee wood is to remove the bark to limit the smoke and create more of a smoldering effect. You can use wood chips or chunks and can mix it with other woods if desired to create a more customized taste.
Click here for a complete article on using lychee for smoking foods.
What kills lychee trees?
Lychee trees can live for up to 100 years and aren’t considered to be mature until they’re 20 – 40 years old. They can suffer from drought and dry conditions, heavy wind, lack of full sun and other weather related reasons.
Poorly drained soil areas are not ideal for growing lychee trees and young trees can die if water is not drained properly as the tree develops.
Other than root rot, lychee tree growers don’t report any specific known natural predator problems such as insects or pests nor do they report diseases that cause them trouble. Bats have been known to consume the lychee fruits but not to the point where it has impacted the life of the trees.
Final thoughts
Here’s a table summarizing 15 interesting and important characteristics of the Lychee tree and the wood that is produced:
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Litchi chinensis |
| Common Names | Lychee, litchi, lichee, lichi |
| Family | Sapindaceae |
| Origin | Southern China |
| Tree Height | Up to 40 feet (12 meters) |
| Wood Color | Light to medium reddish-brown |
| Wood Grain | Interlocked grain |
| Density | Medium |
| Durability | Moderately durable |
| Workability | Easy to work, can be carved |
| Uses | Furniture, small items, crafts |
| Resistance | Moderate resistance to decay |
| Finishing | Takes stains and finishes well |
| Sustainability | Generally sustainable with proper management |
| Availability | Available but not as common as other hardwoods |
| Unique Feature | Fruity aroma when cut and worked |
Please note that while lychee wood is used for various purposes, it’s not as commonly utilized as some other hardwoods. Always consider sustainable sourcing practices when using exotic wood species.