The ancient lychee tree in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, has made a remarkable comeback as it bears fruit across its branches after 11 years of dormancy.
The lychee tree consistently produces fruit each year.
This 1,500-year-old lychee tree has a trunk diameter of 5.6 meters and stands 16 meters tall. In 1958, experts determined that the tree was planted before the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD). The fruits of this lychee tree were once offered as tribute to emperors throughout history. Despite the passage of over a millennium, its branches remain lush and abundant.
In 2019, the Sichuan provincial government recognized and announced this tree as a first-class ancient tree, subsequently placing it on the local protection list. The ancient lychee tree had not borne fruit for 11 consecutive years, so when it suddenly produced an abundance of fruit this year, the villagers were taken by surprise.
“We are very proud to have such an ancient tree with a long history. I genuinely want to taste the sweet flavor of lychee from a thousand years ago,” shared a resident of Sichuan. This is not the first time an ancient lychee tree has been discovered in Sichuan; several others date back over 1,270 years.
Lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a tropical fruit-bearing tree native to southern China. Lychee is an evergreen tree of medium size, reaching heights of 15-20 meters, with alternately arranged pinnate leaves. The lychee fruit is rich in vitamin C. Lychee requires a hot tropical and subtropical climate, free from frost or only experiencing mild winter temperatures that do not drop below -4 °C, coupled with hot, rainy summers and high humidity. It thrives best in well-drained, slightly acidic, and organic-rich (humus) soils.
The ancient lychee tree in Sichuan Province. (Video: ECNS)
