Sweet Cliff lychee

[Central Floridave]

Currently eating some lychee for breakfast.  Yummy!

[Mike T]

Tim naan

[Central Floridave]

you say tomato, I say tomahto

[BluePalm]

Good for you! I like the Sweet Cliff variety...very good imo. Happy 4th!

[bradflorida]

I was speaking with Bill Mee yesterday about Sweet Cliff lychees.  He related that  Bob Murray, former owner of Treehouse Nursery in Bokeelia, told him that he was unable to graft lychee to a longan rootstock, unless it was a Sweet Cliff lychee scion.  This is the only one that would take.  He felt this supported the idea that Sweet Cliff is a cross between a longan and lychee.  Besides, to me, it makes sense, when you consider the texture (more firm) of the flesh, the slightly musky aftertaste, the size of the fruit, and the tougher/smoother skin.

Brad

[Eekler81 tropical trail]

Very nice did you grow those?

[Mike T]

Edis sinks the slipper into sweet cliff over flavour and many would say that the evaluation was in poor taste.It does make you wonder if there has been some past hybridization.Interspecific monkey business opportunities would not be confined to longan hanky panky.



Those bees, you never know where they have been

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Or it could just be jungle fever again.

[Central Floridave]

"did you grow those?"

Although, I do have a sweet cliff growing it is in too much shade to produce fruit unfortunately.   These are from a friends house in North Merritt Island.   All the other variety seemed to not produce fruit this year, but his sweet cliff was loaded.   I ate some more last night.  They are really good.   

I've heard lychee and longan are relatives, but the sweet cliff is a longan mix?  Eh?  Really?   That is news to me. 

[Mike T]

CF I have heard about lychee x longans but sweet cliff won't be one on reflection.I was speculating on it being possible that a feather of interspecific outcrossing in sweet cliffs distant past might be possible.The kinda family secret the rest of the lychee family wouldn't talk about.

[fruitlovers]

"did you grow those?"

Although, I do have a sweet cliff growing it is in too much shade to produce fruit unfortunately.   These are from a friends house in North Merritt Island.   All the other variety seemed to not produce fruit this year, but his sweet cliff was loaded.   I ate some more last night.  They are really good.   

I've heard lychee and longan are relatives, but the sweet cliff is a longan mix?  Eh?  Really?   That is news to me.

I think this is news to everyone! I don't think there is any evidence of this at all. Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this. Even the compatibility of scion that Brad mentioned is not proof because there are probably other lychees that are compatible with longan. From little i've read it's not something that happens easily in nature. The fruit crosses were forced by human hand after cross pollinating thousands of flowers. Also resultant seeds of crosses were sterile, so it's not something that is continued in nature.

[bsbullie]

"did you grow those?"

Although, I do have a sweet cliff growing it is in too much shade to produce fruit unfortunately.   These are from a friends house in North Merritt Island.   All the other variety seemed to not produce fruit this year, but his sweet cliff was loaded.   I ate some more last night.  They are really good.   

I've heard lychee and longan are relatives, but the sweet cliff is a longan mix?  Eh?  Really?   That is news to me.

I think this is news to everyone! I don't think there is any evidence of this at all. Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this. Even the compatibility of scion that Brad mentioned is not proof because there are probably other lychees that are compatible with longan. From little i've read it's not something that happens easily in nature. The fruit crosses were forced by human hand after cross pollinating thousands of flowers. Also resultant seeds of crosses were sterile, so it's not something that is continued in nature.

Gonna disagree with you there.  Every Sweet Cliff I have ever had had a distinct longan flavor and texture incorporated into a lychee (exterior is also somewhat longan-like).  While there is nothing genetically proven that it is a cross, there are people who do believe it is a cross of some type.

[fruitlovers]

"did you grow those?"

Although, I do have a sweet cliff growing it is in too much shade to produce fruit unfortunately.   These are from a friends house in North Merritt Island.   All the other variety seemed to not produce fruit this year, but his sweet cliff was loaded.   I ate some more last night.  They are really good.   

I've heard lychee and longan are relatives, but the sweet cliff is a longan mix?  Eh?  Really?   That is news to me.

I think this is news to everyone! I don't think there is any evidence of this at all. Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this. Even the compatibility of scion that Brad mentioned is not proof because there are probably other lychees that are compatible with longan. From little i've read it's not something that happens easily in nature. The fruit crosses were forced by human hand after cross pollinating thousands of flowers. Also resultant seeds of crosses were sterile, so it's not something that is continued in nature.

Gonna disagree with you there.  Every Sweet Cliff I have ever had had a distinct longan flavor and texture incorporated into a lychee (exterior is also somewhat longan-like).  While there is nothing genetically proven that it is a cross, there are people who do believe it is a cross of some type.

OK, then where is the longan DNA? Did it just disappear? If it were a cross that longan DNA would be there. Taste doesn't really prove anything. For example, there are mangos that taste like citrus or coconut, does that mean they have crossed with these other plants? Also smooth exterior doesn't prove anything. There are other lychees that also have smooth exterior.

[bsbullie]

"did you grow those?"

Although, I do have a sweet cliff growing it is in too much shade to produce fruit unfortunately.   These are from a friends house in North Merritt Island.   All the other variety seemed to not produce fruit this year, but his sweet cliff was loaded.   I ate some more last night.  They are really good.   

I've heard lychee and longan are relatives, but the sweet cliff is a longan mix?  Eh?  Really?   That is news to me.

I think this is news to everyone! I don't think there is any evidence of this at all. Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this. Even the compatibility of scion that Brad mentioned is not proof because there are probably other lychees that are compatible with longan. From little i've read it's not something that happens easily in nature. The fruit crosses were forced by human hand after cross pollinating thousands of flowers. Also resultant seeds of crosses were sterile, so it's not something that is continued in nature.

Gonna disagree with you there.  Every Sweet Cliff I have ever had had a distinct longan flavor and texture incorporated into a lychee (exterior is also somewhat longan-like).  While there is nothing genetically proven that it is a cross, there are people who do believe it is a cross of some type.

OK, then where is the longan DNA? Did it just disappear? If it were a cross that longan DNA would be there. Taste doesn't really prove anything. For example, there are mangos that taste like citrus or coconut, does that mean they have crossed with these other plants? Also smooth exterior doesn't prove anything. There are other lychees that also have smooth exterior.

I said there is no evidence and I was voicing MY opinion (and I know others have voiced the same opinion).    I also would not compare the flavor profiles of mangoes to that of lychees.  Sweet Cliff is the only lychee I have ever tasted that tasted of something other than what I would classify as pure lychee.

[fruitlovers]

"did you grow those?"

Although, I do have a sweet cliff growing it is in too much shade to produce fruit unfortunately.   These are from a friends house in North Merritt Island.   All the other variety seemed to not produce fruit this year, but his sweet cliff was loaded.   I ate some more last night.  They are really good.   

I've heard lychee and longan are relatives, but the sweet cliff is a longan mix?  Eh?  Really?   That is news to me.

I think this is news to everyone! I don't think there is any evidence of this at all. Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this. Even the compatibility of scion that Brad mentioned is not proof because there are probably other lychees that are compatible with longan. From little i've read it's not something that happens easily in nature. The fruit crosses were forced by human hand after cross pollinating thousands of flowers. Also resultant seeds of crosses were sterile, so it's not something that is continued in nature.

Gonna disagree with you there.  Every Sweet Cliff I have ever had had a distinct longan flavor and texture incorporated into a lychee (exterior is also somewhat longan-like).  While there is nothing genetically proven that it is a cross, there are people who do believe it is a cross of some type.

OK, then where is the longan DNA? Did it just disappear? If it were a cross that longan DNA would be there. Taste doesn't really prove anything. For example, there are mangos that taste like citrus or coconut, does that mean they have crossed with these other plants? Also smooth exterior doesn't prove anything. There are other lychees that also have smooth exterior.

I said there is no evidence and I was voicing MY opinion (and I know others have voiced the same opinion).    I also would not compare the flavor profiles of mangoes to that of lychees.  Sweet Cliff is the only lychee I have ever tasted that tasted of something other than what I would classify as pure lychee.

Read the thread again:
Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this.
Gonna disagree with you there.

That seems to imply that you thought taste alone was evidence. Didn't seem like you were just giving your opinion. But what is your opinion? That Sweet Cliff tastes like longan? OK that's fine.

[bsbullie]

"did you grow those?"

Although, I do have a sweet cliff growing it is in too much shade to produce fruit unfortunately.   These are from a friends house in North Merritt Island.   All the other variety seemed to not produce fruit this year, but his sweet cliff was loaded.   I ate some more last night.  They are really good.   

I've heard lychee and longan are relatives, but the sweet cliff is a longan mix?  Eh?  Really?   That is news to me.

I think this is news to everyone! I don't think there is any evidence of this at all. Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this. Even the compatibility of scion that Brad mentioned is not proof because there are probably other lychees that are compatible with longan. From little i've read it's not something that happens easily in nature. The fruit crosses were forced by human hand after cross pollinating thousands of flowers. Also resultant seeds of crosses were sterile, so it's not something that is continued in nature.

Gonna disagree with you there.  Every Sweet Cliff I have ever had had a distinct longan flavor and texture incorporated into a lychee (exterior is also somewhat longan-like).  While there is nothing genetically proven that it is a cross, there are people who do believe it is a cross of some type.

OK, then where is the longan DNA? Did it just disappear? If it were a cross that longan DNA would be there. Taste doesn't really prove anything. For example, there are mangos that taste like citrus or coconut, does that mean they have crossed with these other plants? Also smooth exterior doesn't prove anything. There are other lychees that also have smooth exterior.

I said there is no evidence and I was voicing MY opinion (and I know others have voiced the same opinion).    I also would not compare the flavor profiles of mangoes to that of lychees.  Sweet Cliff is the only lychee I have ever tasted that tasted of something other than what I would classify as pure lychee.

Read the thread again:
Certainly taste of the fruit is not evidence of this.
Gonna disagree with you there.

That seems to imply that you thought taste alone was evidence. Didn't seem like you were just giving your opinion. But what is your opinion? That Sweet Cliff tastes like longan? OK that's fine.

I was just saying that as far as taste goes, it seems like it is a cross.  I am not saying it tastes like a longan outright, but I am saying it tastes like a lychee with some taste and texture characteristics of a longan.  In any event, I would still classify it as a lychee.

[fruitlovers]

If my memory banks serve me right there were some theories floating that longan is just a type of lychee that over the millenia adapted to different climate zone (or maybe that was rambutan?). If this were the case it would not be surprising that there is some taste similarities. But notice that the lychee and longan are classified as 2 different genus, not in same genus, so taxonomically they are not so close. Unless taxonomists decide tomorrow to lump them into same genus?