Litchi is a evergreen tree grown for its edible fruit.

Litchi fruit is native of southern China.

Litchi is grown in Central and South America, parts of Africa, throughout Asia. China, India, South Africa, Australia, Mauritius, Madagascar and Thailand

India and China account for 91% of the world Litchi production.

India ranks second in area after China and have the highest productivity with 63,000 ha area and 3.81 metric tones productivity.

In India Litchi is grown in Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Western U.P. and Punjab. 

• Kingdom:  Plantae
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Order: Sapindales
• Family:  Sapindaceae
• Genus: Litchi
• Species: chinensis

Fruits are the most economically important part of Litchi

Litchi performs well under humid conditions in subtropical climate.

Litchi cultivation is prone to severe frost damage.

It needs about 200 chilling hours to facilitate fruit bud differentiation.

Summer temperatures of more than 42°C is harmful for Litchi trees.

Litchi is very fastidious to its soil requirements.

It thrives well on deep well drained loamy soils, with high organic matter content and free from any hard pan.

It can be planted in soils with 6.5 to 8.0 pH.

• Biotic Causes:
  • Major Pests: Leaf and Shoot Borer, Mites, Leaf Folder, Litchi Looper and Leaf Cutting Weevil.
    
  • Major Diseases: Fruit Rot, Anthracnose, Leaf Blight, Twig Blight and Wilt.
• Abiotic Causes:
  • Splitting
  • Pericarp Browning
  • Poor Fruiting
  • Fruit drop