I don't think you will have much luck with Lychee here. At least without heroic measures. I would expect a yearly low around 18F. We might not hit that every year, but we will every few years.

If you do your research and pick the cultivars that are selected for our climate you should have good luck here. We are very fortunate to have the University of Florida and it's plant breeding program nearby.

Ben,

I am in central Florida (Citrus county) on a lake in a warm micro-climate and I am still too cold for Lychee. But I did just buy two of them and two Mango trees. I plan to build a hoop house around them for the winter:) Where there's a will......

Hi Ben...I agree with the advise given here. I think it will be too cold for your Zone for Lychee...having said that I know someone that grows Mangoes and Lychee trees who lives in Gainesville but I believe he mostly grows them in pots and has a greenhouse to keep them warm in the several days of freezing temps.

Lychee trees are more cold tolerant than Mango...but that's only after they mature (usually past 5 years or so) and even then they can only endure short spurts of below 30 degrees for a few hours once in a while...18 degrees would sure kill them :o(

If you build them a really good shelter (like Bamboo) suggested and put some added "heat" underneath them during temps below 32 degrees you will probably have success...but you will have to keep the trees very small so you can protect them when needed.

Good luck on your move!

I grow a Longan aka Dragon Eye Fruit (tender Lychee relative) tree. I keep it in the gh in the winter. It is in a large pot. I am in NE FL. I keep my gh just above freezing and the tree is in the front of the gh near the door. It has done better than I expected. Last year we got quite a bit of fruit.
I also have 3 sausage trees, a Jackfruit seedling and some other tropical fruit in pots.

pic of a few Longan fruit from last year. It is next to a Starfruit tree with darker bark.
{{gwi:563878}}
~SJN

SJN, what a very nice longan tree! Congrats getting it to grow and fruit in N. Fl. Great job. I like longan my second choice they are similar to lychees.

I know it's been a while but I just found this thread. Any luck with the lychees? I also live in Alachua and am playing around with tropicals.

Great job R!! You look like you're having success growing your mango tree and inground no less, Congrats!!

I still have my Longan, a huge Starfruit, 15 Jackfruit seedlings, 20 something cacao tree seedlings (I guess I should count them lol), 3 sausage trees (not edible fruit) that still havent flowered yet lol. A bunch of citrus that is not hardy here. A guava that is in a pot. Just got a HAAS avocado..that I am keeping potted for a few years. I would like to get more tropical fruit but I would have to add another greenhouse lol.

I move all the fruit trees out of the greenhouse in the spring except the Starfruit and Sausage trees. They are way too big now. I just take off the top and sides of the greenhouse and leave the frame up...less work.

Where are you located Sultry Jasmine?

Sultry, sounds like you have a nice assortment of delicious fruits. Its great to be able to grow outside your comfort zone and push your zone limits. I've been there with some freeze damage to my mango/lychee trees. Not fun when it happens but still totally worth it :o)

Anyone have ideas for wintering Lychee, Longan or other out of zone trees in Ocala? Greenhouse ideas... individual structures for over wintering only?

I have been in the Jax area growing tropical fruit. You can just put up one of those cheap metal framed 10 x20 ft carport that comes with the plastic white top, in a box from H Depot etc. and secure it to the ground with long anchors. Lowes, H Depot etc sells some really long ones or you could just put some 5 gal buckets halfway into the ground, fill them w cement then anchor the 'legs' of the carport that way or some variation etc.

I get those big rolls of painter's plastic from Home Depot that are 6mil. 100ftx20 ft roll.

You are gonna cut your pieces as needed for length and fold it so it is now a 12 mil. thick and 10ft high. You can then wrap your carport with it for winter. We usually cut a separate part for a 'door' in the front so we can water.

I only use a propane heater if its gonna go below freezing.

On hot days, you may need to leave the front door rolled up to vent it.

I've been doing it this way for 14 yrs and it works fine in zone 9a.

Our new farm is in zone 8b so I will have more colder nights where I may have to run heat so I may build a permanent gh there.

You are welcome. Once your last frost date has passed,you can just take down all the plastic and leave it off until late Nov or Dec (whenever your first frost date is). If you paint your carport frame green, it will blend in more with your trees etc and look better once the plastic is off. I have several very large trees that I leave in place in the greenhouse area because they are heavy to move. I often have to cut the tops off trees to get the plastic back over them in winter but its no big deal.

You can use that carport/gh frame to grow annual vines or hang potted plants on etc too, during the spring, summer, fall.

~Sjn