ISHS Acta Horticulturae 558: I International Symposium on Litchi and Longan
THE LYCHEE'S HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS IN FLORIDA |
| Authors: | R.J. Knight, Jr. |
| Keywords: | Litchi chinensis Sonn., tropical pomology, ‘Brewster’, ‘Chacapot’, ‘Hak Ip’, ‘Kaimana’, ‘Kwei Mei Pink’, ‘Mauritius’, ‘Sweetcliff’ |
| Abstract:
The lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) was introduced to Florida before 1880 but attracted little attention until the 1940s when its suitability for fruit production was noted by a group who thereupon worked to popularize the crop. The development in Florida of an improved form of an ancient Chinese method of propagation, marcottage using polyethylene plastic and sphagnum moss, made mass production of nursery stock practical. In the 10 years from 1948, a center of lychee production developed near Sarasota on Florida's West Coast, but prolonged freezing weather in 1958 killed or severely damaged the plantings there. Production moved southward and before Hurricane Andrew, in 1992, 60 hectares were concentrated in southern Florida. Except for ‘Mauritius’, which is sensitive to high winds, lychee trees recovered from hurricane damage more quickly than many other important fruit crops and one estimate of the area currently planted to this crop in Florida is 240 hectares. The two cultivars on which the industry is presently based, ‘Brewster’ (= ‘Chen Purple’) and ‘Mauritius’ (probably = ‘Tay So’) both have production problems, and therefore cultivars better suited to Florida's growing conditions are needed. Others currently under investigation include ‘Emperor’ (= ‘Chacapot’), ‘Hak Ip’, ‘Kaimana’, and ‘Kwei Mai Pink’ (= “Bosworth 3”). | |
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