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Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: FloridaGreenMan on February 03, 2012, 09:32:09 PM

Title: What is the best lychee?
Post by: FloridaGreenMan on February 03, 2012, 09:32:09 PM
What is the best tasting lychee? The best I have ever tasted are also among the hardest to grow. They are the Emperor and the Haa-Kip. Mauritius is probably the easiest to grow and fruit in South Florida but which ones are you folks growing in Florida and all over the US? How many outside of Florida on the mainland US have fruited Lychee?  The photo shows some gorgeous Emperors grown in Palm Beach County FL. They were fantastic!
       
(http://s17.postimage.org/7010wbqsb/Emperor_Lychee_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7010wbqsb/)
 
(http://s8.postimage.org/q06yfyog1/Emperor_Lychee_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/q06yfyog1/)

(http://s7.postimage.org/ew2au8zuf/Emperor_Lychee_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/ew2au8zuf/)


Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: HMHausman on February 03, 2012, 09:38:31 PM
After this last season, I have begun to say that the best lychee is the one that is just at peak of ripeness and ready to eat.  Each variety has something good to be said about it.  There is some variability from year to year, but for my money, my two favorites are Kaimana and Garnet.

Harry
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on February 03, 2012, 09:43:54 PM
I will have to agree in general to what Harry said which can vary from year to tear.  If comparing a "perfect" specimen, I would have to go with Hak Ip.  My least favorite is Sweet Cliff.  While I like a well ripened longan, I am not that crazy about the blending flavors of the two with the Sweet Cliff.  When I want a lychee, I want a lychee, when I want a longan, I want a longan.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Squam256 on February 03, 2012, 09:46:23 PM
I like Kaimana and Early Large Red.  Not a fan of Ha Kip, don't like the aftertaste it has.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Tropicalgrower89 on February 03, 2012, 09:50:37 PM
Pantin and Pace are really good varieties.











Whoops. This ain't a mamey thread..  ;D       ;)










I've eaten longans. But I'd never ate a lychee before.  :(
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on February 03, 2012, 09:55:56 PM
Pantin and Pace are really good varieties.

Whoops. This ain't a mamey thread..  ;D       ;)

I've eaten longans. But I'd never ate a lychee before.  :(
Please turn over your tropical fruit man card...I also believe you have just been placed on "tropicalfruitforum suspension".  No more mameys for you.  You mission/goal is to be sure to try every variety of ripe lychee available come June/July.  That will probably mean you will have to beg, borrow and bribe some forum members  ;D
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Tropicalgrower89 on February 03, 2012, 09:58:34 PM
Pantin and Pace are really good varieties.

Whoops. This ain't a mamey thread..  ;D       ;)

I've eaten longans. But I'd never ate a lychee before.  :(
Please turn over your tropical fruit man card...I also believe you have just been placed on "tropicalfruitforum suspension".  No more mameys for you.  You mission/goal is to be sure to try every variety of ripe lychee available come June/July.  That will probably mean you will have to beg, borrow and bribe some forum members  ;D

lol  ;D 
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on February 03, 2012, 09:59:04 PM
I like Kaimana and Early Large Red.  Not a fan of Ha Kip, don't like the aftertaste it has.
I have heard some people talk of an after taste with the Hak Ip but I have not noticed it.  I would like to compare a well ripened Hak Ip to a well ripened Sweetheart.  I may also have to visit Harry for some of the "off" varieties I have not tasted.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Squam256 on February 03, 2012, 10:17:39 PM
I like Kaimana and Early Large Red.  Not a fan of Ha Kip, don't like the aftertaste it has.
I have heard some people talk of an after taste with the Hak Ip but I have not noticed it.  I would like to compare a well ripened Hak Ip to a well ripened Sweetheart.  I may also have to visit Harry for some of the "off" varieties I have not tasted.

Every Ha Kip I've had, regardless of where it was grown, had that "aftertaste". Maybe the wrong term but that's the best word I can think of to describe it. Sweetheart on the other hand I like.

Calcutta is another lychee I liked a lot. I do enjoy eating huge amounts of cheap Mauritius and Brewster in the summer though.....got them for $1.50/pound last year  :D
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: johnb51 on February 03, 2012, 11:01:39 PM
Why is Emperor hardest to grow? ???
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Squam256 on February 03, 2012, 11:30:05 PM
Why is Emperor hardest to grow? ???

Mostly because it doesn't. Or rather, grows extremely slowly. Seems to do particularly poorly in muck soils and is a poor producer. I think its kind of mediocre tasting actually. It does produce very large fruit though.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on February 03, 2012, 11:44:41 PM
Why is Emperor hardest to grow? ???

Mostly because it doesn't. Or rather, grows extremely slowly. Seems to do particularly poorly in muck soils and is a poor producer. I think its kind of mediocre tasting actually. It does produce very large fruit though.
I agree with squam.  With all the available varieties, Emporer wold not crack "the list" of go to lychees.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 04, 2012, 12:34:34 AM
My favorites are #1: Kwai Mi Pink (Bosworth-3), close #2: Kaimana, #3: Brewster. But i've not yet eaten what are considered the best ychees in China: No Mai Tze and Hanging Green. Have both of these but don't know if they'll fruit here, they like it cooler. My least favorite is Groff.
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: zands on February 04, 2012, 02:29:16 AM
All I know is lychees are always so expensive in the store compared to mangoes. $4.00/lb is the least expensive I have seen while you can luck out with decent Florida grown mangoes @$1.00 each. Plus you can buy backyard mangoes or get donations from neighbors. Lychees trees in back yards are far less common even though they are usually mentioned along with mangoes in this forum. So I better plant the Brewster lychee I have sitting in a pot
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: BMc on February 04, 2012, 05:25:28 AM
Salathiel. Great taste and 100% chicken tongue seeds. After that maybe a fully ripened Tai So - they take so long they rarely get to that stage. My favourite to grow is the B-3, hands down most reliable and prolific here.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: lycheeluva on February 04, 2012, 06:24:35 AM
i just got out of surgery last night for a fractured thumb but it would be blasphemous for lycheeluva not to quicly respond to this thread. fact, a little blasphemos for lycheeluva not to have started this post.  i have only eaten 4 lychees in large quantities and they are mauritius, brewster, hak ip, and sweet cliff. out of those, as ive repeated like a broken record, mauritius is far and away my fave. after that , i liked sweet cliff, then brewster then hak ip. at harry's place, i bought a few pounds of early red which were very similar to mauritius and nearly as good. i also tried bengal which didnt move me. ive also tied one or two emperor which lived up to their reputation as being big but not especially flavorful. ive tried some unlabelled lychees in china town which looked like sweetheart but not sure if they were- those didnt impress me either.
for now mauritius for mr, by a long shot.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: BMc on February 04, 2012, 07:28:45 AM
No Mai Chi is the other one that I'll pay the extra $2 per kilo for. Similar to Salathiel, maybe a bit better.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: HMHausman on February 04, 2012, 08:24:50 AM
I have yet to try Calcutta, Groff, Salathiel, Hanging Green (well, not sure about this one as I did try a green skinned variety in NY's chinatown.....it was not a very good lychee and so, based on the reputation of this storied cultivar I am assuming that either it wasn't Hanging Greeen or was not truly representative of it), No Mai Tze, Yai So or B-3.  Have tried to grow No Mai Tze, but never got a tree to any size before untimely death. My current fruiting trees include Brewster, Mauritius, Kaimana, Kwai Mai Pink (Bosworth 3), Bengal, Hak Ip, Early Large Red, Garnet, Peerless, Ohia, and Farwell Ranch (probably Mauritius seedling) Also growing but have never fruited Seymour, Red Ohia, and I am still going to throw Sweeheart into this category.  My trees have technically fruited but poorly and not in a way that has been represetative of their reputation (possibly read "hype).  This cultivar is on double secret probation at my house. I have had a large fruiting Emperor.....but it died loaded with fruit one year.......I assume at the hands of some root destroying pathogen based upon how the fruit and leaves never dropped as the tree died.

My additional taste/flavor comments are:  Kwai Mai Pink......excellent flavor but my trees lack vigor.  Ohia........excellent last year, better than I ever remembered previously.  Bengal......large fruit....equally large seed......good flavor, very prolific year in and year out.  Mauritius......was really excellent last year.......can fall from excellent to the very good category in some years, but if you like a bit of tart along with your sweet, this is one to consider.  Peerless....a probable Brewster seedling.....similar to Brewster....but more consistant crops.  Early Large Red...not sure of the heritage.  Tends to be similar to Mauritius....also a consistant bearer.  Hak Ip.......great lychee for those that like the strong, somewhat medicinal taste of lychee.  I do get that after taste referred to by Squam.  The size of the fruit, smallness of the seed and consistant production makes me over look this after taste. Kaimana is large fruited, generally small seeded with a very unique floral flavor.  Was a bit off this last year in taste and more so in production but usually is a consistant bearer at my house. With regard to Emperor.....when my tree was fruiting, it was doing so heavily and consistantly.  The taste of the fruit does tend to be somewhat more bland than other cultivars.  But, the sheer size of the fruit and its late season (consistantly the last lychees of the season at my house) makes this a must have.

Harry
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 04, 2012, 04:56:13 PM
Salathiel. Great taste and 100% chicken tongue seeds. After that maybe a fully ripened Tai So - they take so long they rarely get to that stage. My favourite to grow is the B-3, hands down most reliable and prolific here.

B-3 (Kwai Mi Pink) is also the most reliable bearing here also, even more reliable than Kaimana, which was developed here. I have Salathiel but that cultivar does not fruit at all here. Needs cooler climate, not well adapted to tropics.
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: lycheeluva on February 04, 2012, 05:29:19 PM
harry they sell those green lychees every year in NY china town and they are always unedible- so very much doubt they are the fabled  hanging green, or if they are, they must get treated with a chemical to allow export to the  US that absolutely kills taste. they also sell  a red lychee in china town every year that looks like a large sweet cliff (but isnt), that is also terrible. those r the only 2 varieties of lychee that are actually unpleasant.  will try and investigate their variety this summer
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Jsvand5 on February 04, 2012, 08:07:19 PM
I really liked the Ohia and the Farwell ranch that I had at Harry's place. Those were my two favorites last season. For some reason I was not a huge fan of the Kaimana.

Emperor is my least favorite. Tasted bad enough to me that I gave away my tree and threw the fruit in the trash.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 04, 2012, 08:13:15 PM
The lychee varieties i have planted are: Kwai mi pink (also called Bosworth 3), Kaimana, Salathiel, Wai Chee, Groff, Kwai Mi, Emperor, Bengal, Ohia, Yellow Red, Hanging Green, No Mai Tze, Amboina,  and Sweetheart.
Of these i've only tasted B3, Kaimana, Groff, Kwai Mi, Emperor, and Bengal. I also tasted Calcutta, which is nice because it is super late bearing, so offseason.
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: SWRancher on February 05, 2012, 09:34:33 AM
So far my favorite types tasted have been Ohia, Hak Ip, Kaimana and Farwell Ranch. Although to be honest, I have never had a lychee I did not like just some types that I enjoyed more then others... :)  I currently have Ohia, Hak Ip, Brewster, Emperor, Sweetheart and Mauritius trees planted in my yard.   
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 06, 2012, 12:38:30 AM
So far my favorite types tasted have been Ohia, Hak Ip, Kaimana and Farwell Ranch. Although to be honest, I have never had a lychee I did not like just some types that a enjoyed more then others... :)  I currently have Ohia, Hak Ip, Brewster, Emperor, Sweetheart and Mauritius trees planted in my yard.   

Yeah, i agree, fresh lychees off the tree are all good. But some are gooder, and then there are the goodest kinds!  :)  Bought a bag of lychees from Whole Foods once in S. Cal. and they were pretty darned horrible.
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: mangomandan on February 06, 2012, 12:13:15 PM
I've been happy with my Brewster (likewise the neighbors, the mail carrier, the garbage pick-up guys....)    But it would be nice to have a lychee with a better ratio of fruit to seed.
Any suggestions for good tasting lychees with chicken lip seeds?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: jabomano on February 06, 2012, 04:55:32 PM
Sweet Heart.

Ray
www.raybayer.com (http://www.raybayer.com)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 07, 2012, 07:30:04 PM
My favorite Lychees in order of preference are
No Mai Tsze- tasted these in China and Hong Kong, sweet, crisp flesh, very white colored flesh, average size fruit, no medicinal taste at all- my parents favorite as well
Sweetheart- very large fruit, very small seed, smells and tastes of honey
Emperor-I love fully ripened Emperors, the ones with very little tartness, the ones picked even a little early are much less sweet and pretty tart.  I ordered some last year from Lycheesonline.com.  The fully ripened, fully colored, full sized Emperor with abortive seed-I will rate on par with a good Sweetheart.
Hak Ip-standard lychee
Brewster-I love the flesh, one of my favorites, if not for the seed that takes up 99.99% of the fruit
Mauritius-going to order some from Lycheesonline this year to verify it is one of my least favorite lychees, sorry Lycheeluva

Still looking for a source for Garnet Lychee airlayer so please let me know if anyone has one available for sale.
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: lycheeluva on February 07, 2012, 08:11:38 PM
simon, im not sure i can forgive you, and more importantly, my good friend lord mauritius is not sure he can forgive you.

let us know what u think after this year's sampling
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 07, 2012, 08:17:15 PM
Would love to go to southern China during peak lychee season. There are so many excellent varieties i don't think i would ever taste otherwise. BTW, someone i know went to China and told me he found on some fruit stands black lychees! No not black as in rotten, but really black colored exterior skin. Said they were very good, but never saved the seeds!?!?!  :'(
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 07, 2012, 08:39:25 PM
Lycheeluva, I will make it up to lord Mauritius if this years crop tastes better.  I will even consider purchasing a Mauritius since its supposed to be one of the more dependable fruiting lychees. 

Oscar, next time I go back, I will look for the Black Lychee ;D
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 07, 2012, 10:12:38 PM
Lycheeluva, I will make it up to lord Mauritius if this years crop tastes better.  I will even consider purchasing a Mauritius since its supposed to be one of the more dependable fruiting lychees. 

Oscar, next time I go back, I will look for the Black Lychee ;D
Simon

Simon, what area of China did you visit?
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 08, 2012, 12:29:43 PM
Hey Oscar, I believe it is Guang Zhou and Guang Dong, I have to ask my dad to be sure.  My dad comes from a lychee growing district in China and we still have several trees on our ancestrial land with a few extremely large Lychee trees that must be close to 100 years old.  Most of the varieties on my dads land are chinese named cultivars and they taste extremely good.  I haven't been back there for almost 15 years.  Last time I went back, I wasn't even into Lychees but I do remember my brother and I climbing on the trunk of a large Lychee tree next to the pond and picking the few lychee that were within reach.  I think it is that memory that has got me so interested in Lychee growing once I got back to the US. 
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: adiel on February 08, 2012, 01:43:10 PM
I like the Brewster lychee.  The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't flower every year.

Adiel
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: lycheeluva on February 08, 2012, 02:13:57 PM
brewster is one of my least fave. (still a great fruit though).
very difficult to bite into without getting juice over you, very large stone, and no complexity- just sweetness. brewster and hak ip are the two cultivars that i definitly will not be growing
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: SWRancher on February 08, 2012, 08:44:29 PM
"very difficult to bite into without getting juice over you." In the heat and high humidity of the South Florida summer one of the best things about eating a fresh Lychee is that they are bursting with juice even if it gets all over you ;D   
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 08, 2012, 10:06:17 PM
"very difficult to bite into without getting juice over you." In the heat and high humidity of the South Florida summer one of the best things about eating a fresh Lychee is that they are bursting with juice even if it gets all over you ;D   

My favorite lychees are my best fruiting lychees: B-3 and Kaimana. What good is an excellent tasting lychee if it does not fruit well or consistently, or maybe doesn't fruit at all? Lychees are very tricky to fruit in our rainy tropical climate.
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: lycheeluva on February 09, 2012, 11:40:00 PM
The lychee varieties i have planted are: Kwai mi pink (also called Bosworth 3), Kaimana, Salathiel, Wai Chee, Groff, Kwai Mi, Emperor, Bengal, Ohia, Yellow Red, Hanging Green, No Mai Tze, Amboina,  and Sweetheart.
Of these i've only tasted B3, Kaimana, Groff, Kwai Mi, Emperor, and Bengal. I also tasted Calcutta, which is nice because it is super late bearing, so offseason.
Oscar

oscar, apparently your kwai mi is a mauritius!
see http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lychee.html#Origin (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lychee.html#Origin) and Distribution
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 09, 2012, 11:46:27 PM
The lychee varieties i have planted are: Kwai mi pink (also called Bosworth 3), Kaimana, Salathiel, Wai Chee, Groff, Kwai Mi, Emperor, Bengal, Ohia, Yellow Red, Hanging Green, No Mai Tze, Amboina,  and Sweetheart.
Of these i've only tasted B3, Kaimana, Groff, Kwai Mi, Emperor, and Bengal. I also tasted Calcutta, which is nice because it is super late bearing, so offseason.
Oscar

oscar, apparently your kwai mi is a mauritius!
see http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lychee.html#Origin (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lychee.html#Origin) and Distribution

I remember reading that before, but there is some debate about whether what we call Kwai Mi here in Hawaii is the same as Mauritius. There is a whole lot of confusion in the naming of lychee cultivars. Also there is the possibility of cultural changes when a cultivar is grown in a different location for a long time, as in the Mauritius island versus same cultivar grown in China for millenia. There is a DNA tracking project on lychees to try to sort this all out.
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: lycheeluva on February 09, 2012, 11:56:35 PM
i read an israeli paper on lychee dna testing to try and figure out the cultivars. i thank that article i linked to went on to say that brewster is more acidic than kwai mi. there is no way anyone would consider brewster more acidic than mauritius so who the hell knows what is what
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: BMc on February 13, 2012, 08:30:36 PM
Have a quick look at the picture in this thread of a supposedly new variety grown in central Queensland. 100gm lychees?
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/new-lychee-variety/ (http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/new-lychee-variety/)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: johnb51 on February 13, 2012, 08:36:23 PM
Have a quick look at the picture in this thread of a supposedly new variety grown in central Queensland. 100gm lychees?
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/new-lychee-variety/ (http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/new-lychee-variety/)

Freaky!
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 13, 2012, 09:21:53 PM
He gets a cultivar developed at a Chinese research station, brings it back to Australia, and then renames it after himself?
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: BMc on February 13, 2012, 10:22:57 PM
I dont think he named it after himself. It sounds like the usual murdering of a Chinese cv name.
I'm surprised a research station released it to him though as they've been pretty protective with good stuff since the whole kiwi thing and chase away folks after their bayberry cv.s
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: murahilin on February 13, 2012, 10:24:35 PM
Anyone know how to get that variety to the US?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: JoeP450 on February 13, 2012, 11:52:51 PM
That is an incredible lychee, looks kind of like a sweet heart shape and texture.

_JoeP450
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on February 14, 2012, 12:50:31 AM
That is an incredible lychee, looks kind of like a sweet heart shape and texture.

_JoeP450
Sorry, but just had to ask, how do you have looks like and texture in the same sentence ?  ??? :)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 14, 2012, 02:24:50 AM
Thats incredible but I'll have to taste it to believe it.  I'm wondering why this wasn't all over the Chinese news as many Asians would be very interested in a Lychee that size even if it didn't taste too good.  Those huge Lychees look a little like Sweetheart but also a little like Emperor.  I wonder how large a Sweetheart or Emperor could get if it were grown on a full sized tree and you culled extremely heavily as in leaving only 1-3 fruit per panicle?  If anyone know where I can get this variety, please let us know! 8) :o :-X
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 14, 2012, 02:35:35 AM
Check this out, maybe not as large but pretty close.
http://thingsweloveparty.blogspot.com/2011/06/giant-lychee.html (http://thingsweloveparty.blogspot.com/2011/06/giant-lychee.html)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: murahilin on February 14, 2012, 10:50:57 AM
I remember someone giving a presentation or something and mentioning going to China and seeing some very large lychees that were a few times larger than the largest ones here. I think it may have been Dr. Crane. Can't remember exactly who or when though.

What I do remember is that he said it was a new variety so maybe it will be more common in the future.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: johnb51 on February 14, 2012, 09:30:28 PM
That is an incredible lychee, looks kind of like a sweet heart shape and texture.

_JoeP450
Sorry, but just had to ask, how do you have looks like and texture in the same sentence ?  ??? :)

The shape and texture resemble a Sweetheart.  I get it!
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 14, 2012, 09:43:16 PM
Thats incredible but I'll have to taste it to believe it.  I'm wondering why this wasn't all over the Chinese news as many Asians would be very interested in a Lychee that size even if it didn't taste too good.  Those huge Lychees look a little like Sweetheart but also a little like Emperor.  I wonder how large a Sweetheart or Emperor could get if it were grown on a full sized tree and you culled extremely heavily as in leaving only 1-3 fruit per panicle?  If anyone know where I can get this variety, please let us know! 8) :o :-X
Simon

I think most Asians, especially ones that are lychee fans and have tasted really superior lychee cultivars, would mostly be interested in quality, and not so much in quantity. Biggest of everything is really an American thing. Asians know that good things often come in small packages. I'm guessing they are gearing this giant for export markets, maybe Texas? HAHA
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: johnb51 on February 14, 2012, 10:22:07 PM
Thats incredible but I'll have to taste it to believe it.  I'm wondering why this wasn't all over the Chinese news as many Asians would be very interested in a Lychee that size even if it didn't taste too good.  Those huge Lychees look a little like Sweetheart but also a little like Emperor.  I wonder how large a Sweetheart or Emperor could get if it were grown on a full sized tree and you culled extremely heavily as in leaving only 1-3 fruit per panicle?  If anyone know where I can get this variety, please let us know! 8) :o :-X
Simon

I think most Asians, especially ones that are lychee fans and have tasted really superior lychee cultivars, would mostly be interested in quality, and not so much in quantity. Biggest of everything is really an American thing. Asians know that good things often come in small packages. I'm guessing they are gearing this giant for export markets, maybe Texas? HAHA
Oscar

You'd be surprised how many Asians live in Texas--Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Thai, Indians, etc.  Millions more than in Hawaii.  But one thing for sure--you won't find any good ol' boy Texas rednecks eatin' lychees!
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on February 15, 2012, 12:00:57 AM
On my last visit to LA i went to an area called little Hanoi. It was like being in another country! Great place to hunt for tropical fruits. Found in some of their supermarkets fresh: jackfruit, mangosteen, durian, longan, and even some great mangos! One of the markets even had a stall next to it selling large 15 gallon sized trees of wax jambu, longans, lychees, some already with fruits, perfectly manicure, but very expen$ive.
Oscar
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: JoeP450 on February 15, 2012, 09:51:56 AM
Thats incredible but I'll have to taste it to believe it.  I'm wondering why this wasn't all over the Chinese news as many Asians would be very interested in a Lychee that size even if it didn't taste too good.  Those huge Lychees look a little like Sweetheart but also a little like Emperor.  I wonder how large a Sweetheart or Emperor could get if it were grown on a full sized tree and you culled extremely heavily as in leaving only 1-3 fruit per panicle?  If anyone know where I can get this variety, please let us know! 8) :o :-X
Simon

Rob I meant texture of the skin of the fruit, my bad...
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: JoeP450 on February 15, 2012, 09:54:43 AM
I remember someone giving a presentation or something and mentioning going to China and seeing some very large lychees that were a few times larger than the largest ones here. I think it may have been Dr. Crane. Can't remember exactly who or when though.

What I do remember is that he said it was a new variety so maybe it will be more common in the future.

Simon that thing is so big it looks practically like a baby red annona! LOL!

_JoeP450
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 15, 2012, 12:06:29 PM
The person in the link I posted was able to eat the fruit.  He didn't give a good description, only saying it was sweet but not super sweet.  Phase001 grew some golfball sized Sweethearts and he didn't even cull. 

Now that I think about it, those Giant Lychees don't look like Sweethearts at all.  The Sweethearts that I have eaten didn't have flattened out bumps even when they were ripe.  I have noticed that Emperors do get flattened out bumps when they are fully ripe.  Those Giant Lychees appear to have very flattened out bumps.  I wonder if I can pump up some supersized Sweethearts and Emperors by watering heavily and culling heavily like I mentioned earlier?  Does anyone have a full grown Sweetheart and Emperor so we can test this out? 
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: lycheeluva on February 15, 2012, 12:30:20 PM
simon- wont watering heavily during ripening phase make the fruit taste watery
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 15, 2012, 01:11:46 PM
I believe so Lycheeluva.  In orchard conditions, you are supposed to keep the trees well watered to size the fruit up.  Depending on the type of fruit, withholding water after the fruit has sized up is supposed to increase the sugar content, I guess, from the decreased amount of water in the fruit thus concentrating the flavor and sugars.  I would like to try to keep the fruiting trees well watered and give it lots of Potassium and also cull the panicles when the fruit are pea sized to see the size difference between fruit treated in this manner compared to normal fruit.  I'm just curious.

I just found out around a year or two ago that culling fruit like mandarins, Longan, Loquat when they are pea sized will drastically improve the overall size of the remaining fruit and also help with the flavor and sweetness of the fruit.  My friend has a Loquat tree that gives tons of smallish kinda sour fruit(it was grown from seed) every year and this year, I helped him cull about 1/2 of all the total fruit on the tree.  This year, his green fruit are already larger than his fully ripe fruit from last year and they appear to have several weeks left to grow.  From what I see now, his fruit may be approx. 1/3-1/2 larger than when he didn't cull and add Potassium. 
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: dongeorgio on April 25, 2013, 05:26:11 PM
Did anyone discover what variety those giant lychee were?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on April 27, 2013, 04:06:47 AM
I believe the variety is called Erdon Lee.
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: FlyingFoxFruits on June 15, 2013, 04:43:52 PM
Today, after tasting Mauritius, Brewster, Kwai mai Pink (bosworth 3), Emperor, Hak Ip, Sweet Cliff, and Sweet heart....

I'd say Hak Ip was the best...but I'm sure some of the varieties I tasted weren't at peak ripeness.

A pic of 3 lychee varieties...Left Sweetheart, middle Brewster, right, Emperor.

(http://s24.postimg.cc/zaoq3zurl/lychee5.jpg) (http://postimg.cc/image/zaoq3zurl/)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on June 15, 2013, 05:00:48 PM
The best lychee is the one that's in my mouth right now.  ;)  The favorite here is probably Kaimana. Strange they are not more widely planted in Florida?
I'm sure all our lychees in Hawaii and Florida pale to the best ones in China, but not sure if i'll ever find out for sure.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on June 15, 2013, 05:30:11 PM
Mauritius won the poll last year I think. What is known as haak yip here and in china is 20 to 22g,smooth skinned, very broad at the top and a dull red/maroon when ripe. From pix I have seen posted the American hak ip is something pretty different.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on June 15, 2013, 05:35:43 PM
There is a lot of confusion with identity of lychees in different countries/places. For example, Mauritius is supposed to be Kwai Mi, but it's different than the Kwai Mi that we have here. It's possible lychees transform after being grown in Africa for long time with a different climate from what they were originally in China. Also there is a lot of name confusion due to different languages, dialects, and lost and misplaced labels, for example Sweetheart.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on June 15, 2013, 05:40:18 PM
Oscar that is true for Mauritius which is an African selection of tai so with slightly redder skin than tai so. Here Mauritius gets called tai so Mauritius. It is harder to account for with hak ip.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on June 15, 2013, 10:17:20 PM
Oscar that is true for Mauritius which is an African selection of tai so with slightly redder skin than tai so. Here Mauritius gets called tai so Mauritius. It is harder to account for with hak ip.

If you look at literature you see that Tai so is a group of lychees, not one particular cultivar. This may be true of some others and may account for some of the confusion with names.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 15, 2013, 11:23:43 PM
Hey Adam,
Did you notice a taste difference between the Sweetheart and the Hak Ip? Also, did they look different? Thanks

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bradflorida on June 16, 2013, 01:07:34 AM
The three lychee growers on Pine Island all feel that Hak Ip and Sweetheart are the same thing.   One of the growers said that two when two Chinese botanists saw the lychees he is growing (Hak Ips / Sweethearts), they both said that the fruit was Fei Zi Siu.

Upon researching the USDA accessions of lychees, they have a couple Hak Ip trees in their collection, and have pictures of each.  The fruits are more medium sized, have a medium sized seed, and have smooth skin.  They bear no resemblance to what we are calling Hak Ip here in Florida.  Seems as if the names got mixed up about 20 years ago, perhaps by the USDA in Florida?

The USDA in Hawaii is sending me some scion wood from their Fei Zi Siu lychee tree.   If I can get them successfully grafted, it will be interesting to compare them to my "Sweetheart" trees.

Brad
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: johnb51 on June 16, 2013, 08:29:59 AM
Ah, the great lychee mystery!  I guess genetic testing would be the only solution.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: FlyingFoxFruits on June 16, 2013, 08:36:12 AM
Hey Adam,
Did you notice a taste difference between the Sweetheart and the Hak Ip? Also, did they look different? Thanks

Simon

they were pretty much the same.  looks and taste...but sweetheart was more watered down...both excellent.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: LEOOEL on June 16, 2013, 08:06:42 PM
I've been happy with my Brewster (likewise the neighbors, the mail carrier, the garbage pick-up guys....)    But it would be nice to have a lychee with a better ratio of fruit to seed.
Any suggestions for good tasting lychees with chicken lip seeds?

Yes, Hak'Ip. It has chicken tongue seeds. It's not as productive as Mauritius, but mine has so far had reliable production year after year.
Title: Lychee suggestions
Post by: gunnar429 on February 20, 2014, 11:22:22 AM
I recently picked up a Mauritius lychee tree and I am looking for 2 more.  I am more concerned with reliability of fruit set than taste.

I am considering:

Brewster:  are they worth planting?

Sweetheart or Hak Ip:  anyone recommend either of these varieties?

Bosworth 3/Kwai Mai Pink:  I would like this but don't know how reliable it is.

Kaimana:  Heard good things but how often does it fruit (say, out of 5 years)?

Emperor:  is is reliable?

PIN website recommends kwai mai pink, Mauritius, Hak Ip, and Sweetheart.

I know some people disagree with the mango viewer from PIN.  what are your thoughts on the best 3 (or 4) trees to grow for enjoyment of lychees most years?

Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: gunnar429 on February 20, 2014, 04:44:32 PM
ok, so it looks like emperor is out due to lackluster taste reviews and difficulty to grow.

Let me know which ones fruit nearly ever year.  I agree with oscar that it isn't any good if it doesn't produce.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on February 20, 2014, 09:05:32 PM
I would go with Kwai Mai or Kwai Mai Pink(Bosworth 3) and then a real Hak Ip, the one with smooth shell and medium seeds. These are all productive trees, not sure about how well they produce in Florida. I've only read that Bosworth 3 is productive in Hawaii. I know Kwai Mai and the real Hak Ip are productive in China. I believe Harry is the best person to answer this question. I like the flavor of these three varieties, all very sweet.
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: gunnar429 on February 21, 2014, 07:12:59 AM
Thanks, Simon.

What are the 3 most consistent trees to plant in FL without spraying?

1.  Mauritius

2. ???

3. ???

(the remaining 2 is between sweetheart, brewster, kwai mai pink, and Hak Ip

Can anyone growing these varieties help me pick the winners?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: nullzero on February 21, 2014, 11:48:54 AM
I only have room for 1 lychee atm, I am going with Hak Ip personally. Its rated as a good fruit, reliability seems to be decent.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: LEOOEL on February 22, 2014, 10:51:02 PM
Gunnar429, Nullzero, I have 'HakIp' and I do recommend it. From a personal experience, it does like the full sun, just like most lychee trees. The flavor is sweet, refreshing and addictive. So, restraint may be required, thoughts of eating all the fruit on the tree nonstop may come to mind.

If Pine Island Nursery recommends 'Kwai Mai Pink,' then which one is best, 'Kwai Mai Pink' or 'Mauritius?' Does anyone have experience growing 'Kwai Mai Pink' lychee fruit in South Florida?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on March 05, 2014, 12:59:44 AM
Gunnar429, Nullzero, I have 'HakIp' and I do recommend it. From a personal experience, it does like the full sun, just like most lychee trees. The flavor is sweet, refreshing and addictive. So, restraint may be required, thoughts of eating all the fruit on the tree nonstop may come to mind.

If Pine Island Nursery recommends 'Kwai Mai Pink,' then which one is best, 'Kwai Mai Pink' or 'Mauritius?' Does anyone have experience growing 'Kwai Mai Pink' lychee fruit in South Florida?

It's safe to say that ALL lychee trees need full sun. Any part of the tree that is shaded is not going to produce fruit. So make sure you give them plenty of growing space.
Here Kwai Mi Pink (usually called Bosworth 3, or B3 for short) is one of the most reliable bearers. It needs very little chill to set fruit. So i'm pretty sure it would be a reliable bearer in southern Florida. Mike T has also posted that B3 is a reliable bearer in tropical parts of Australia. Not everyone likes it, but i do. Added bonus of B3: it is a very later bearing variety so it will extend your lychee enjoyment.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Coconut on March 05, 2014, 01:04:58 AM
Thanks Oscar I will plant a bostworth 3 for the wife after I chainsaw our unproductive Emperor  of 20 years. ;)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: LEOOEL on March 07, 2014, 12:01:25 AM
Top Tropicals Nursery is promoting the 'Sweetheart' lychee as the best lychee in the State of Florida, USA. I would love to see an honest comparison of the pros and cons between the 'Sweetheart' lychee and the 'Mauritius' lychee.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on March 07, 2014, 02:39:48 AM
Top Tropicals Nursery is promoting the 'Sweetheart' lychee as the best lychee in the State of Florida, USA. I would love to see an honest comparison of the pros and cons between the 'Sweetheart' lychee and the 'Mauritius' lychee.

PIN was also billing Sweetheart as best tasting lychee, at least when i visited them several years ago.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on March 07, 2014, 05:14:04 PM
Thanks Oscar I will plant a bostworth 3 for the wife after I chainsaw our unproductive Emperor  of 20 years. ;)

You may want to try scarifying the trunk of your emperor as well as girdling it next winter to see if you can shock it into fruit production. Is your tree growing too vigorously?
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on March 07, 2014, 05:59:59 PM
Thanks Oscar I will plant a bostworth 3 for the wife after I chainsaw our unproductive Emperor  of 20 years. ;)

You may want to try scarifying the trunk of your emperor as well as girdling it next winter to see if you can shock it into fruit production. Is your tree growing too vigorously?
Simon

You shouldn't girdle the trunk, only the branches, and even then only some of the branches, not all. Otherwise you can put too much stress on the tree and kill it.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on March 07, 2014, 06:33:43 PM
Girdling is a pretty questionable practice as it may increase yield on the branch but the branch often declines, dies or get prone to fungal problems afterwards.I know I have posted about lychee varieties a bit before but kwai mai pink and Mauritius are the 2 recommended commercial types here (of over 25) for warmer areas. They need less chilling and are reliable bearers. Mauritius is favoured by many consumers as it has a better acid/sugar balance (more acid),richer lychee flavour and a rose water quality as well as being larger. Kwai mai pink is still popular and more widely grown and transports better. Reliability of production seems to be a common problem for many varieties. People seem to agree that planting varieties in the climate that most suits them really helps reliability and fruit quality. I bet kai mai pink and Mauritius planted in areas too cool and better suited to 'cooler lychees' would struggle with quality and productivity.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Coconut on March 08, 2014, 12:23:14 AM



Girdling is that not a polite way for saying strangling.  This old soldier is not strangling anyone; for fruit under stress is utterly tasteless.  Ever taste pen up stress out fresh chicken, taste better when chicken is free range, a happy life.  My fruit trees if they don't produce with that free range life style I give them, a chainsaw is their fate. :-[

Well spoken Mike T warm species it is that appropriate for my climate, Mauritius Sweet Heart Lychee; you are mine. Originally I planted this Emperor Lychee for my Boca Princess Wife, she want a fruit that as big tasting and bold as her diamond.  It sure got big in my front yard, 20 years slavery to this Emperor Lychee tree, produce many admiring loyal subjects in my Gated Community; for its nominal 30 broad feet height, beautiful healthy shiny, leaves that siren in Hurricane Wilma. Even my NAZI HOA Board grandfathered it in (it royal highness was never approved by the Geriatric Board in my landscape permit).  I stealthy snuck it in, thank God we got a lot of cataracts on the Board with one feet in the casket.

This Menorah Emperor Lychee tree became a Kosher symbol as my Rabbi neighbor borrow the minuscule bearing fruits at night & bless the tree for more fruitful bounty when I am busy hunting burmese python in the everglade.

Under its majestic shadow, a celebrity gathering place for well heel & super connected four legged pamper pooches & their two legged parents; marking & making night soil deposit banking 24/7/52 with reckless abandon and utter disregard for my well groom Emperor Lychee. Emperor Lychee I thank you for 20 years of attracting neighborhood gossips, all the canines in the neighborhood you seem to attract & bring me fleas & four years of fruit out of twenty, its time for your Hindu cremation. Disclaimer; no animals or gossiping neighbors were harm by this story; Emperor Lychee  wood will be use to roast this family xmas goose dinner. Amen :P

Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on March 08, 2014, 12:41:52 AM
Girdling is a pretty questionable practice as it may increase yield on the branch but the branch often declines, dies or get prone to fungal problems afterwards.I know I have posted about lychee varieties a bit before but kwai mai pink and Mauritius are the 2 recommended commercial types here (of over 25) for warmer areas. They need less chilling and are reliable bearers. Mauritius is favoured by many consumers as it has a better acid/sugar balance (more acid),richer lychee flavour and a rose water quality as well as being larger. Kwai mai pink is still popular and more widely grown and transports better. Reliability of production seems to be a common problem for many varieties. People seem to agree that planting varieties in the climate that most suits them really helps reliability and fruit quality. I bet kai mai pink and Mauritius planted in areas too cool and better suited to 'cooler lychees' would struggle with quality and productivity.

It is ofcourse better in long run to use lychee cultivars that are suitable for the climate in which they are grown. But i don't think there is any danger to the tree if correctly girdled. This is a technique that is commercially used and is not found to have any detriment to the trees.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on March 08, 2014, 01:29:24 PM
Yes Oscar I should have said to girdle a branch and not the trunk. Girdling will not cause the release of cortisol in trees like it does in animals. I have not heard of any reports that indicate that fruit from girdled trees taste worst than non girdled trees. I have a friend that has a 20 foot tall szygzium, not sure about spelling, that never fruited in about 10+ years and the tree finally fruited the year that his father scarrified the trunk.
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: nch on March 08, 2014, 01:36:58 PM
Not to hijack the thread, but regarding girdling, is it better to cut a full circle around the branch or cut around the branch so that the beginning and the end of the circle don't meet? Also, what's the minimum diameter of a branch, or it doesn't matter? Thanks. My Sweetheart is blooming, but there are only female flowers.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on March 08, 2014, 02:01:49 PM
I've never girdled Lychee before, only read about it but I believe you are supposed to girdle all the way around in order for the energy generated by the leaves to Not reach lower down the tree. Girdling should occur on one of the main branches. If you have 4 main branches, you can perform it on one or two branches. I'm not positive but I believe 1/4 to 1/2 of the main branches can be girdled in alternating years. I would assume you can girdle any diameter branch but it would make sense that the larger branches that are minimum of 2 inches in diameter would be more productive.

Sweetheart Lychees start their bloom cycle with mostly Female flowers and then as the females start dying, some males will start showing up. One most of the males start dying, females may start showing up again, at least that is the pattern of flowering here in SoCal. If you girdle, your tree may hold more of the fruit that is set but I do not know that girdling will give you some male flowers.
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: nch on March 08, 2014, 02:09:55 PM
Thanks, Simon.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on March 08, 2014, 10:51:47 PM
Yes Simon has it right. You should cut with a saw all the way around. Another method i've used which i find easier is to use a tight wire, like tourniquet, and cut wire once the branch starts flowering. You shouldn't girdle more than 25-30% of the tree at once. Girdling is similar to putting air layers on a tree. You can often see airlayers fruiting due to stress effect. Neither airlayering nor girdling will damage the tree if done right. Small branches will fruit when girdled, but it's much better to go after larger branches, more fruit and less work.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: JFranco on May 24, 2017, 03:05:46 PM
Hi!

Which varieties have the bigger cold resistance? The nursery I am thinking to buy from has 'Kaimana', 'Tai so', 'Early Large Red', 'Suey Tong', 'Fay Zee Siu' and 'Kwai Mai Pink'.

Thank you,

Joćo
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: andrewq on May 24, 2017, 03:23:20 PM
Sweetheart Lychees start their bloom cycle with mostly Female flowers and then as the females start dying, some males will start showing up. One most of the males start dying, females may start showing up again, at least that is the pattern of flowering here in SoCal. If you girdle, your tree may hold more of the fruit that is set but I do not know that girdling will give you some male flowers.
Simon

in Texas, I have seen the same order (female, male, then some female) for my 2 or 3 Sweethearts each year i've let them flower. Recently purchased Mauritius and Emperor and will keep notes for this winter.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: SoCal2warm on May 24, 2017, 06:32:25 PM
Mauritius is the most reliable producer of fruit. Some say that Mauritius has a very slight cinnamon-like taste. If you only have enough room for 1 tree and you really want a crop every year, Mauritius is probably the best variety for you. This variety is rather small, both the fruit and tree size.
I've read conflicting opinions about the taste of the Mauritius variety. Apparently the flavor has a noticeable difference from the other lychee varieties, kind of slightly sub-acid taste. Some people have said the flavor is very good to excellent, even that it is their favorite lychee variety they have tasted. Other people have said it is the only lychee variety they don't like.

Emperor has the largest fruit size, up to 1½ to 1¾ inch diameter, but its flavor is a little bland/insipid compared to other lychee varieties.

No Mai Tsze is supposedly the best tasting, but has small fruit size and is not the most reliable at producing fruit every year.

Brewster is an all-around good variety, but not really exceptional in any single category, the tree of this variety can grow quite tall so it may not be as suitable for small yards. This is the most common commercial variety in America, and I think the fruit exterior of Brewster has a more attractive appearance than the other varieties, smooth and bright red.

Kaimana is supposed to be an all-around good variety, with great taste and large fruit size, combined with a 'chicken tongue' seed so the fruit contains more edible meat. From what I have seen, Kaimana can get pretty large fruit sizes also, and may possibly contain more edible meat than the Emperor variety (it has a smaller seed). This variety would be a lot more popular if its fruit production were more reliable. From what I have read, there will be many years where it will not produce.

Some lychee connoisseurs are real fans of Hak Ip, but others think the taste of this variety is too "medicinal". It is prized for the firm texture of its flesh and the lack of juiciness.

Mauritius, Emperor, and Hak Ip are "mountain-type" varieties, so the trees do not grow as big and may have slightly more cold and drought tolerance than other lychee varieties (though all lychees need consistent water in dry climates).
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on May 24, 2017, 07:57:22 PM
Mauritius is the most reliable producer of fruit. Some say that Mauritius has a very slight cinnamon-like taste. If you only have enough room for 1 tree and you really want a crop every year, Mauritius is probably the best variety for you. This variety is rather small, both the fruit and tree size.
I've read conflicting opinions about the taste of the Mauritius variety. Apparently the flavor has a noticeable difference from the other lychee varieties, kind of slightly sub-acid taste. Some people have said the flavor is very good to excellent, even that it is their favorite lychee variety they have tasted. Other people have said it is the only lychee variety they don't like.

Emperor has the largest fruit size, up to 1½ to 1¾ inch diameter, but its flavor is a little bland/insipid compared to other lychee varieties.

No Mai Tsze is supposedly the best tasting, but has small fruit size and is not the most reliable at producing fruit every year.

Brewster is an all-around good variety, but not really exceptional in any single category, the tree of this variety can grow quite tall so it may not be as suitable for small yards. This is the most common commercial variety in America, and I think the fruit exterior of Brewster has a more attractive appearance than the other varieties, smooth and bright red.

Kaimana is supposed to be an all-around good variety, with great taste and large fruit size, combined with a 'chicken tongue' seed so the fruit contains more edible meat. From what I have seen, Kaimana can get pretty large fruit sizes also, and may possibly contain more edible meat than the Emperor variety (it has a smaller seed). This variety would be a lot more popular if its fruit production were more reliable. From what I have read, there will be many years where it will not produce.

Some lychee connoisseurs are real fans of Hak Ip, but others think the taste of this variety is too "medicinal". It is prized for the firm texture of its flesh and the lack of juiciness.

Mauritius, Emperor, and Hak Ip are "mountain-type" varieties, so the trees do not grow as big and may have slightly more cold and drought tolerance than other lychee varieties (though all lychees need consistent water in dry climates).

No Mai Tsze is still my favorite variety I have tasted so far but it's only available( fruit) in China and Hong Kong where I tasted it. The one at Exotica was sour and the taste and look was not the same as in China and Hong Kong. No Mai Tsze is not a small fruit, it is a medium-large fruit. Smaller than Emperor, Sweetheart, Fei Zhi Siu butvlarger than the average Mauritius and Brewster.

I've harvested some pretty large Brewsters on large established trees.

Emperors pick up a lot of Terroir, more so than other varieties I've tasted. Some years and from some trees, the fruit is kind of bland and a bit sour. Other fruit I have tasted were exceptional with excellent sweetness although this variety has weak Lychee(Rose) flavor. Most my sampling of Emperors were from Lycheesonline.com back when they were still able to ship to SoCal, they can't anymore. My friend had a tree that produced excellent fruit but the tree is a bit picky with soil and died out of the blue. Emperor has a unique shape to the fruit which reminds me of a walnut, maybe because of the pronounced line it gets on its shell. It also bends at a sharp angle where it attaches to the branch, not all fruit. Some Sweetheart/FZS can get as big or bigger than Emperors and vice versa.

Brewster has exceptional taste, in my opinion. I attribute the exceptional taste to the amazing smell and pronounced Lychee(Rose) flavor of this variety. This variety is also very sweet and has low acidity when harvested fully mature. This variety will turn almost fully red but may not be at its peak flavor until after it has been fully red for a period of time but this depends on temperature and amount of sun. The worst thing about this variety is the absolutely huge seed.

There is a Brewster strain that Leo Manuel is growing that has a high percentage of chicken tongue seeds however but we need to track the tree over multiple years to see if this trend continues. If it does, this Brewster selection, for lack of a better term, can be an excellent choice for Lychee connoisseurs. Leo's Brewster fruits pretty regularly although it does go through the normal patterns of low production after a bumper crop year. Brewster is also a good grower and can get tall which makes harvesting difficult.

Kaimana grows well here and the fruit is good quality with great size and relatively small seed. It is a relatively new variety here in SoCal so large trees are few and far between. Quang over at Ongs Nursery has a small medium tree planted in the ground and is currently holding fruit and told me it fruits pretty regularly for him. The Lychee(rose) flavor and aroma are relatively weak for this variety but the texture is great with more firmness.

Kwai Mai Pink or Bosworth 3 is a good tasting variety for those that like sweet fruit with not too much other flavor. It has very low acidity and the fruit is relatively small and prone to attack by fungus. It is supposed to fruit regularly.

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: andrewq on May 24, 2017, 07:58:55 PM
his profile states he is in zone 10b. Are there cultivars that prefer warmer climates?

 I think here or gardenweb there was a thread about lychees in Jamaica and there was discussion about how different cultivars may be required for regions with different hours of chill.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Orkine on May 24, 2017, 08:03:54 PM
Mauritius is the most reliable producer of fruit. Some say that Mauritius has a very slight cinnamon-like taste. If you only have enough room for 1 tree and you really want a crop every year, Mauritius is probably the best variety for you. This variety is rather small, both the fruit and tree size.
I've read conflicting opinions about the taste of the Mauritius variety. Apparently the flavor has a noticeable difference from the other lychee varieties, kind of slightly sub-acid taste. Some people have said the flavor is very good to excellent, even that it is their favorite lychee variety they have tasted. Other people have said it is the only lychee variety they don't like.

Emperor has the largest fruit size, up to 1½ to 1¾ inch diameter, but its flavor is a little bland/insipid compared to other lychee varieties.

No Mai Tsze is supposedly the best tasting, but has small fruit size and is not the most reliable at producing fruit every year.

Brewster is an all-around good variety, but not really exceptional in any single category, the tree of this variety can grow quite tall so it may not be as suitable for small yards. This is the most common commercial variety in America, and I think the fruit exterior of Brewster has a more attractive appearance than the other varieties, smooth and bright red.

Kaimana is supposed to be an all-around good variety, with great taste and large fruit size, combined with a 'chicken tongue' seed so the fruit contains more edible meat. From what I have seen, Kaimana can get pretty large fruit sizes also, and may possibly contain more edible meat than the Emperor variety (it has a smaller seed). This variety would be a lot more popular if its fruit production were more reliable. From what I have read, there will be many years where it will not produce.

Some lychee connoisseurs are real fans of Hak Ip, but others think the taste of this variety is too "medicinal". It is prized for the firm texture of its flesh and the lack of juiciness.

Mauritius, Emperor, and Hak Ip are "mountain-type" varieties, so the trees do not grow as big and may have slightly more cold and drought tolerance than other lychee varieties (though all lychees need consistent water in dry climates).

So I have both a Mauritius and an Emperor.  They have never fruited in the same year for me.  My memory of the Emperor fruit is more pleasant than of the Mauritius.  I also recall more tiny seeds (chicken tongue) in a bigger fruit.  I must get them both to fruit in the same year and compare.  Bottom line though, I liked them both and happy to have them both.  Now just to get my emperor to fruit more than once every 3 to 4 years (looks like this year is one of those years).  I expect fierce competition with the birds. :)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: LEOOEL on May 28, 2017, 10:24:42 PM
"Early Large Red...not sure of the heritage.  Tends to be similar to Mauritius....also a consistant bearer."

The above quote is saying a lot, IMO! I hope it's not a 'Mauritius' by another name. May I ask if you've noticed any differences between 'Early-Large-Red' and 'Mauritius?' Are their corresponding ripening seasons also the same or do they vary?

I have yet to try Calcutta, Groff, Salathiel, Hanging Green (well, not sure about this one as I did try a green skinned variety in NY's chinatown.....it was not a very good lychee and so, based on the reputation of this storied cultivar I am assuming that either it wasn't Hanging Greeen or was not truly representative of it), No Mai Tze, Yai So or B-3.  Have tried to grow No Mai Tze, but never got a tree to any size before untimely death. My current fruiting trees include Brewster, Mauritius, Kaimana, Kwai Mai Pink (Bosworth 3), Bengal, Hak Ip, Early Large Red, Garnet, Peerless, Ohia, and Farwell Ranch (probably Mauritius seedling) Also growing but have never fruited Seymour, Red Ohia, and I am still going to throw Sweeheart into this category.  My trees have technically fruited but poorly and not in a way that has been represetative of their reputation (possibly read "hype).  This cultivar is on double secret probation at my house. I have had a large fruiting Emperor.....but it died loaded with fruit one year.......I assume at the hands of some root destroying pathogen based upon how the fruit and leaves never dropped as the tree died.

My additional taste/flavor comments are:  Kwai Mai Pink......excellent flavor but my trees lack vigor.  Ohia........excellent last year, better than I ever remembered previously.  Bengal......large fruit....equally large seed......good flavor, very prolific year in and year out.  Mauritius......was really excellent last year.......can fall from excellent to the very good category in some years, but if you like a bit of tart along with your sweet, this is one to consider.  Peerless....a probable Brewster seedling.....similar to Brewster....but more consistant crops.  Early Large Red...not sure of the heritage.  Tends to be similar to Mauritius....also a consistant bearer.  Hak Ip.......great lychee for those that like the strong, somewhat medicinal taste of lychee.  I do get that after taste referred to by Squam.  The size of the fruit, smallness of the seed and consistant production makes me over look this after taste. Kaimana is large fruited, generally small seeded with a very unique floral flavor.  Was a bit off this last year in taste and more so in production but usually is a consistant bearer at my house. With regard to Emperor.....when my tree was fruiting, it was doing so heavily and consistantly.  The taste of the fruit does tend to be somewhat more bland than other cultivars.  But, the sheer size of the fruit and its late season (consistantly the last lychees of the season at my house) makes this a must have.

Harry
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on May 29, 2017, 08:54:19 AM
If I were to express my opinion using Australian names for cultivars (based on Cantonese pronunciation) and rank cultivars according to flesh yield. taste (especially rich or rose flavour) and generally how much I enjoy them,I would put fai zee sui and tai so (Mauritius) at the front of the pack. I find haak yip disappointing, bengal the worst of all due to scant flesh and kwai mai pink (Bosworth 3) of ordinary sugar and water flavour. I never tried a good indian lychee variety. Souey tung is pretty average. wai chee is ok.no mai chee (salathiel) is pretty good and sum yee hong (yook ho pow) is very good and very large.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: andrewq on May 30, 2017, 12:55:47 AM
"Early Large Red...not sure of the heritage.  Tends to be similar to Mauritius....also a consistant bearer."

The above quote is saying a lot, IMO! I hope it's not a 'Mauritius' by another name. May I ask if you've noticed any differences between 'Early-Large-Red' and 'Mauritius?' Are their corresponding ripening seasons also the same or do they vary?


Is it the 'Early Big' lychee? appears to be a novel cultivar from Taiwan

https://fruits.edpsciences.org/articles/fruits/pdf/2015/05/fruits140110.pdf
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: JFranco on May 30, 2017, 01:35:29 PM
Thank you for your answers! I found another nursery with 'Mauritius' and I think I'll go with that one!

Joćo
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on June 10, 2017, 06:16:58 PM
http://www.australianlychee.com.au/about-lychees/varieties (http://www.australianlychee.com.au/about-lychees/varieties)
A few people have asked for updates on seedless and erdon lee lychees.I see erdon lee and the seedless lychee are listed as other varieties grown in Australia after popular varieties but you don't hear anything about them.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: LEOOEL on June 21, 2017, 09:59:28 PM
I have, enjoy, and recommend: 'Mauritius' and 'Ha-Kip.'

I think the best lychee is out there, and is yet to be imported.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: junglevulture on June 22, 2017, 11:03:46 PM
Kaimana has remained my favorite.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bradflorida on June 22, 2017, 11:18:54 PM
Sweetheart, kaimana, emperor
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: gnappi on June 23, 2017, 12:41:56 AM
Simple, one that actually gives fruit. :-)

Next year my pretty large Sweetheart (in ground since 2010 bought as a fairly large IIRC 15 gal) and maurititus (in ground 2011 same size as sweetheart) get the axe if no fruit happen. A shame too, they're both such nice looking trees but I have no room for nice looking ornamental trees. 
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 23, 2017, 11:49:11 PM
Simple, one that actually gives fruit. :-)

Next year my pretty large Sweetheart (in ground since 2010 bought as a fairly large IIRC 15 gal) and maurititus (in ground 2011 same size as sweetheart) get the axe if no fruit happen. A shame too, they're both such nice looking trees but I have no room for nice looking ornamental trees.
I'm surprised your Mauritius is not fruiting. Have you tried pruning according to Lycheesonline.coms pruning schedule? Have you tried withholding water, perhaps using a tarp to divert water prior to expected blooms? If you are going to chop the trees soon, you might as well try all the techniques combined next year, including girdling. If your tree is growing well, you may want to withhold all Nitrogen for the rest of the year. If you have a lawn next to your tree, the excess water and Nitrogen can be very detrimental to flowering.

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: andrewq on June 24, 2017, 12:50:37 AM
A bunch of factors go into lychee flowering.

Some factors associated with improved chances of flowering:
- cold weather
- drought treatment BEFORE cold weather
- maturity of shoots

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997319/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997319/)

Most science/experience seems to be that the cold is a requirement that has no substitute, and that all the other things we try to do are secondary to the cold requirement.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Jose Spain on June 24, 2017, 04:10:48 AM
A bunch of factors go into lychee flowering.

Some factors associated with improved chances of flowering:
- cold weather
- drought treatment BEFORE cold weather
- maturity of shoots

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997319/#b5 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997319/#b5)

Most science/experience seems to be that the cold is a requirement that has no substitute, and that all the other things we try to do are secondary to the cold requirement.

Here you can read the whole article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284756734_Effect_of_temperature_on_growth_and_flowering_of_litchi_Litchi_chinensis_Sonn_cultivars (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284756734_Effect_of_temperature_on_growth_and_flowering_of_litchi_Litchi_chinensis_Sonn_cultivars)

Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on June 24, 2017, 05:21:41 AM
A bunch of factors go into lychee flowering.

Some factors associated with improved chances of flowering:
- cold weather
- drought treatment BEFORE cold weather
- maturity of shoots

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997319/#b5 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997319/#b5)

Most science/experience seems to be that the cold is a requirement that has no substitute, and that all the other things we try to do are secondary to the cold requirement.
Lychees frut here where temperatures never dip below 60F. So obviously there are some cultivars that can fruit without any cold at all. Really no lychee needs cold, but rather cool weather. Even the cultivars that are most in need of cool weather only need temperatures below 55F during winter. I would not call that cold. Most places on continental USA should have no problem meeting that requirement, except perhaps southern Florida during warmer years.
The need some lychee cultivars have for cool weather is in order to stress the trees to initiate flowering. It's easy to confuse this with the need that temperate fruit trees have for real cold weather, below 45F, to initiate leaf drop and dormancy.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 24, 2017, 10:53:24 AM
If the tree is going to be chopped, I would love to see someone try to scarify the trunk. Basically you take a clean machete and make many cuts up and down several sides of the trunk without making any cuts that completely encircle the trunk.

I posted about this technique previously and my friends dad was able to coax a syzygium to fruit after about 10+ years without any fruit. Not much to lose if the tree is going to be chopped anyways.

Also on a previous post, I was able to get a girdled branch on my Longan to flower when the rest of the tree vegged out. I was putting on an air layer. The rest of the tree did eventually flower as well.
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: gnappi on June 24, 2017, 11:02:32 AM
Simon,

I've tried all of the typical and not so typical bud inducing techniques except scarring or girdling the trunk.

Actually the best flowering I had was on (I think was) bsbullies suggestion to NOT trim the branches. That year I also dumped 25 lbs of ice on the roots every night for 3 days during a cold spell. It erupted flowers like fireworks and did not hold a single fruit despite the fact that bees swarmed all over it.

I may try girdling the sweetheart but this coming spring, it will get yanked if it doesn't produce. The Mauritius I'll give a bit longer but it's on the short list for removal.

The REALLY sad thing is both trees are central focal points in my yard, they are providing shade, concealment from neighbors, and an aesthetic visual thing I've grown to really like. Grrr...

Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 24, 2017, 11:52:13 AM
Gary, girdling will help with fruit retention as well. It should be relatively dry during flowering and then water should slowly be increased as the fruitlets form. As the fruit gets larger, watering should be gradually increased.

If any of your neighbors have Lychee trees, try to observe their flowering and harvesting cycle. As soon as your neighbors harvest their fruit, it should be a good time to trim your trees back. Lychees are naturally large and can get very old. From my observations, if Lychees have too much Nitrogen and water close to flowering, they will drop fruit in preference to vegging out.

Cool weather is a powerful stimulus for flowering from what I've observed here in San Diego as my 1-2 foot tall newly established air layers flower consistently every year.
Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Jose Spain on June 24, 2017, 01:12:08 PM
Simon,


The REALLY sad thing is both trees are central focal points in my yard, they are providing shade, concealment from neighbors, and an aesthetic visual thing I've grown to really like. Grrr...

Probably I'm doing a silly question  :P: It is not possible to top work lychee trees like people do with mangoes? In this case with other litchi varieties specially adapted to produce in warm climates without cold season. It's a pity to have to waste all the strength that these trees have accumulated in their branches and roots over the years.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 24, 2017, 01:32:43 PM
Lychees are one of the most difficult to graft trees for me personally. Also, Mauritius is already one of the most reliable producers in Florida. I feel that there is some factor that is tilting the scale towards vegetative growth. With gnappis trees not producing for so long, the trees might have a bumper crop when it finally does produce, especially if there is a cold Winter that can force a full bloom.

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: achetadomestica on June 24, 2017, 01:53:02 PM
I don't know if it helps but this year was a terrible year for Lychee production in general. If you could even find them they were
going for $8.00 a pound on Pine Island. My longans didn't flower and last year I got fruit? How was the production on the east
coast of Florida this season?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: shot on June 24, 2017, 04:17:02 PM
Fay Zee Siu=Sweetheart=hakip same lychee real name Fay Zee Siu , yes I had thousands of pounds this year on pineisland the reward $8.00lb that's capitalism=perspective the price of sandwich meat which is rare this year?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on June 24, 2017, 04:35:38 PM
Fay Zee Siu=Sweetheart=hakip same lychee real name Fay Zee Siu , yes I had thousands of pounds this year on pineisland the reward $8.00lb that's capitalism=perspective the price of sandwich meat which is rare this year?

Could have gotten more thank $8 per pound for Sweetheart over here this year.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bradflorida on June 24, 2017, 04:45:18 PM
Was this year a good one for FZS production for you?  You live near the Painters? 

Do you do anything special for your Lychees such as fertilizer, withholding water, etc?

Brad
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on June 24, 2017, 05:38:19 PM
FZS and haak yip are very different lychees almost at different ends of a spectrum with physical characteristics. Emperor may be a FZS even if a bit smaller than usual but haak yip isn't. They are only occasionally grafted but air layering is so much easier.
The temp for flower stimulation is the key to the distribution of varieties in Australia. Over 2000 km north to south varieties grown change with the warmest areas where I am growing Mauritius, kwai mai pink and FSz is a little south or upslope.Even these will be far more productive if minimum morning temps dip below 12c on a few occasions. They don't need much time in that ideal say 9 to 12c but may skip fruiting altogether if temps don't go below 16c at all.It is the same pattern moving through cooler areas with other varieties having progressively lower flower initiation temps until it is too cold for all types. That distance may span 2000km in eastern Australia but will obviously be much more compressed on either coast of the US.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: shot on June 24, 2017, 05:54:19 PM
I should have been more  specific in florida they have been calling Fay Zee Siu ,hakip  and now Sweetheart  the wrong name for 50+ years .My crop was 25 % best tree 300lbs best tree and worst zero average maybe 50lbs.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 24, 2017, 08:19:37 PM
There is huge confusion here with Lychee names. The mess is so out of hand, I stopped trying to explain it to people. I may be able to do another comparison of SweetHeart vs Hak Ip using Leo's fruit as I did a couple years ago.

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on June 24, 2017, 08:24:20 PM
There is huge confusion here with Lychee names. The mess is so out of hand, I stopped trying to explain it to people. I may be able to do another comparison of SweetHeart vs Hak Ip using Leo's fruit as I did a couple years ago.

Simon

I know a grower in Loxahatchee who has both and fruit are definitely different.

Never heard anyine here ID Sweetheart and/or Hak Ip by the name FSZ.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: andrewq on June 24, 2017, 10:37:18 PM
There is huge confusion here with Lychee names. The mess is so out of hand, I stopped trying to explain it to people. I may be able to do another comparison of SweetHeart vs Hak Ip using Leo's fruit as I did a couple years ago.

Simon

I've seen confusion regarding hap ik and sweetheart. are there other varieties that there is confusion about? my Mauritius, "Sweetheart", and emperor lychees all behave differently
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 24, 2017, 11:44:36 PM
The No Mai Tsze that wa circulating around SoCal about ten years ago might not have actually been correct.

Some of the confusion arose in SoCal when nurseries may have sold Hak Ip trees as Sweetheart and vice Versa. At one point, Sweetheart was a much sought after variety and the inventory was low. You would call a nursery one day asking for Sweetheart and they said no, they don't have any and then you would go visit the nursery the next day and they lead you to untagged trees and tell you, yes, they do have Sweetheart. I never bought those untagged trees, I don't trust trees that aren't properly labeled.

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on June 25, 2017, 12:11:35 AM

Walkamin like Kamerunga did fruit trials and here is one of theirs on lychees remembers that Mauritus is one form of Tai So and Haak yip is a crisp fleshed fruit not the same as Floridian hak ip. Around 40 varieties were trialled in Queensland around this time and 15 came out as recommended varieties.
It would be easy to sort out the correct names in the US by going back to the originals for comparisons.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: fruitlovers on June 25, 2017, 12:34:45 AM
I should have been more  specific in florida they have been calling Fay Zee Siu ,hakip  and now Sweetheart  the wrong name for 50+ years .My crop was 25 % best tree 300lbs best tree and worst zero average maybe 50lbs.

Not sure where you get that information. Sweetheart is a rather recent introduction. There are previous threads detailing origin of Sweetheart from Australia. It's an invented name for a plant that the person who brought material over lost the tag for.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on June 25, 2017, 12:44:06 AM
Brad showed me pics of hak ip/sweetheart that look just the same as the original FZS line introduced to Australia to me. I posted pics before of the newer, larger and redder FZS.   
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 25, 2017, 12:53:35 AM
Reply 92 from Oscar shows what the USDA has as one of their Hak Ip. This is also what I know to be Hak Ip and it is a commercial variety from Taiwan and China. When they are in season, the box is actually labeled as Hak Ip. I often see them sold at 99 Ranch market although the last 10 years, the Hak Ip is being replaced by the newer spikey green Lychee.  http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=4051.msg209633#msg209633 (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=4051.msg209633#msg209633)

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Jose Spain on June 25, 2017, 12:39:07 PM
I'm considering FZS and Salathiel as 2 last additions to my small collection. I already have in the ground Kaimana and Way Chee. In some documents I'm reading that FZS is earlier than Kaimana and in others exactly the contrary. Anybody has both cv and could confirm me if they mature at the same time or not?

By the way, FZS is a common cv planted here in Spain (also Salathiel and Kaimana), specially in Canary Islands, and this is how our FZS looks like:


(https://s10.postimg.cc/fnm6f7bed/litchi-fay-zee-siu.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/fnm6f7bed/)
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: andrewq on June 25, 2017, 10:21:58 PM
so is hap ik the same as sweetheart or different?

I haven't gotten a hap ik due to all the confusion, shady labeling, and uncertainty about what I'm getting.

I'm trying to get a wide variety of trees and hope they have partial overlap in blooming
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 25, 2017, 11:15:12 PM
If possible, try the fruit before you purchase the tree and don't purchase trees that aren't labeled. I have no idea if the confusion has spread to Texas but I like to believe that nurseries do their best to not mislabel their trees.

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mike T on June 26, 2017, 08:09:08 AM
Haak yip/hak ip has fruit that are crisp fleshed, relatively smooth and have a shape that is broad like a small mandarin. By contrast FZS is larger, conical and has softer flesh and looser skin. If sweetheart is a contrived name for FZS and has been subsequently mislabelled as hak ip in some places then confusion must be at an all time high.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: shot on June 26, 2017, 08:24:50 AM
Reply #132 mike you have the precise summary of florida lychee names.
Have you  notice the bottom 6 feet of fzs trees has larger fruit some as large as emperor?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bradflorida on June 26, 2017, 11:08:08 AM
Shot,

It appears that what is sold as Ohia on Pine Island is actually the true Hak Ip.

Brad
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: simon_grow on June 26, 2017, 01:22:58 PM
I picked many Emperor sized fruit on the top canopy of my friends Sweetheart but it was grown in San Diego. Sweethearts get huge.

Simon
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Diospyros on August 28, 2018, 08:47:12 PM
Anyone know what lychee varieties are best suited for the cooler locations?
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: SoCal2warm on August 28, 2018, 10:30:02 PM
Anyone know what lychee varieties are best suited for the cooler locations?
Brewster was known to handle cold a little bit better than others, one of the reasons it was originally selected for Florida, and probably "mountain-type" cultivars like Mauritius and Emperor (though I'm not entirely sure about Mauritius). Hak ip is also mountain-type.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Diospyros on August 29, 2018, 04:36:36 AM
Thanks!!

Makes me lauggh when I hear Fl and cool area in the same sentence but I know what you mean. ;)

Mauritius is mentionned in the thread as a variety for the warmer climate that bear fruits even in warmer climates as in "not needing much chill".

I know it is also known as being unproductive on the tropical coast of Spain which is in zone 10!
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on August 29, 2018, 08:15:07 AM
Here in South Florida,  Emperor seems to only be productive when we have our coldest winters.  The warmer the winter, the lesser the crop.

Brewster, and then replaced by Mauritius, for the choice of commercial crops here are consistently productive no matter what the temps.  This would lead me to believe that cold does not play a role in productivity.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Diospyros on August 29, 2018, 06:19:27 PM
That is very interesting.

I'm still wondering why Mauritius does poorly in Southern Spain (USDA Zone 10 et 11).

Even at the nurseries that are selling it they confirmed to me that it wasn't worth planting. One of the salesman told me he personally had to uproot his cause it only produced 2 fruits after many years.

I'm still gonna get one first chance I get, I really like Mauritius it's basically the only one we get here and it's good. Doesn't have many chicken tongue seeds though...

Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: bsbullie on August 29, 2018, 08:41:23 PM
Mauritius is my least favorite (at least based on Florida grown).  Not saying its bad but xomoared to other available varieties grown here, its my least favorite.
Title: Re: What is the best lychee?
Post by: Mango Maniac on June 05, 2022, 06:10:22 PM
Of my 4 lychee trees the Sweetheart puts out the best tasting fruit. However, this year I failed to get any fruit at all. The Sweetheart put out some but the raccoons and squirrels go to them first the rest did not even flower or fruit.