i think each tree is individual meaning you could get another sweetheart and have them bloom differently.

you should get one that bears the same season, but im not sure if that matters with container winterizing.

Absolutely agree with mango kush. Phase and I live only about 10-15 miles away and our trees are in different phases of bloom. From what I've read, most of the other varieties of Lychees start with male flowers opening first. I would select a Lychee based on quality and estimated bloom time. Hak ip and Kaimana may be a good choice. I know that in CA, the Sweetheart, Hak Ip and Mauritius bloom approx the same time.

For me, my hak ip is the tree that seems to produce the most male and female blooms at the same time. My sweetheart seems like it would have almost no fruit set without my other trees in the area.

I would want a good variety and bloom same time as the sweetheart. I need another variety since my sweetheart bloom with only female flower first and then only lots of male and little female flowers. Then after lots of flower dropping not much left on the tree.:( I know i should not be buying anymore trees since I have no more room....hehehe..but I get bored.

I'm not sure when Kaimana flowers in Florida but I would say Hak Ip or Kaimana. ch3rri, how did you like the Sweetheart that you tasted? I'm curious to see what others think of the different varieties of lychees.

Simon- The sweetheart that I purchased from were huge and a lot were sweet. Only the greener one is a bit sour. I would say sweetheart is the best I've eaten.

Hey ch3rri, that was my observation also. Some of the Sweethearts that were picked too green were slightly sour but the large fully ripened ones were terrific. I only have Sweetheart right now and want to get another tree, probably a Kaimana or another No Mai Tsze (I killed one previously). Hopefully you will get some fruits next year. I'm crossing my fingers that my Sweetheart will hold its fruit till they are fully ripened.

Simon,

The No Mai Tsze fruit quality is an excellent fruit but the crop consistency is poor. The Kaimana is the same. Not sure if it's a good idea to get a tree with poor crop consistency? I'm thinking to get hap ik or Mauritius. But then the stores probably sell mauritius so it's common. I'm also thinking maybe an emperor. I'm still undecided.

Ch3rri, what reference are you using for Kaimanas production?

many lychees do not do well in Miamis soil because it contains alot of Limestone, i have limestone here as well at the surface when i dig holes, the soil is mostly a sandy mix with limestone. its sometimes in huge chunks like this
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this limestone makes the soil calcerous. certain varieties do not flourish in this calcareous soil, i suspect this is why they are uprooted easily by hurricanes while Mauritius and Brewster can achieve Oak tree stature. also no mai tze is considered a "mountain" lychee and not a "water" lychee. i bet because of this they encounter the same problems as other mountain fruit like Cherimoya here.

its also why there are different commercial varieties in Hawaii.

Mango, I got the info from PI website. I would love to get a high quality lychee with consistence crop. Anyone have a no mai tze fruited?

everything i read stated they fruit too poorly in Florida and Hawaii to even consider.

the USDA in Hilo has three distinct accessions all named "No Mai Tsze" i wonder if they are from maybe different regions?

Pine Island has a few odd varieties of lychees lying around one of there growhouses, this is where i found my Groff. they have one labeled "No Mai Tun" i must of picked it up to buy it and then put it back five times lol. maybe its actually one of the three "No Mai Tze" that someone tried to distinguish by altering its name because all their other odd varieties are all listed in the Hilo germplasm with no reference to some of them like "Tukhmia" anywhere else.

it probably wouldnt have done well anyway. the Groffs looked the nicest

Exotica Nursery in San Diego has a No Mai Tsze that fruited heavily two years ago, Steven is an honest guy and said the Lychees were very very good and the tree fruited very well (that year). When Phase and I visited Exotica last year, their No Mai Tsze had only a few slightly underripe fruits and that is probably why they tasted so sour.

Don't quote me on this but I believe Harry said his Kaimana fruited decently and the fruit were very good. If it fruits well in Hawaii, you should have no issues witht the chilling requirements over in Florida.

I have never owned a Kaimana but I have seen the Kaimana at Ong Nursery flower for the last two years even though the tree was at the side of his house where it does not get full sun. Brewster, Mauritius and Hak Ip are comercial varieties that we get here during the season so I would not personally select these three varieties to grow. I would rather have a few high quality fruits than a ton of ok quality fruits :)

yes Harrys Kaimana has fruited well, looking forward to seeing what it oes this year.

i hear alternating bearing years is common with lychess, Don from Going Bananas has told me he manages to get a good crop from his Mauritius every year but i still wonder if his individual trees vary with their yearly crops.

I do like the pebbly shell and round looking of the lychee. I think if I'm going to get another one then it might be the Kaimana now. But I really need to know if the Kaimana produces males flower first or not. I need another tree just so there's more male flowers for my sweetheart.

from the link below:

If the late fall Florida weather is dry and cool (which it should be in your house) lychee trees will begin to flower in December (occasionally you might see some bloom in November) and continue to flower and set fruit through the month of March.

Lychee trees are monoecious. This means that an individual tree produces both male and female flowers; a situation that differs among varying types of tropical fruit trees.

Certain tropical fruit trees produce perfect flowers with male and female sexual parts (guavas, passion fruits, atemoyas, sapodillas and citrus) while other types have trees of separate sexes (genips and date palms).

When Brewster's first begin to bloom they produce predominantly male flowers on a long panicle and as the season progresses female flowers mature and open (the ovary of the female flower is what eventually becomes the fruit).

Unfortunately, a large bloom does not always translate into a bumper crop. This coupled with the fact that lychee trees often bear fruit inconsistently influences the value of the fruit.

Identical trees given identical cultural conditions will display completely different fruiting characteristics. (this is also my first hand observation)

Lychee growers throughout world continue to research the factors that influence productivity and there still is not a definitive answer on how to guarantee a good crop.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.lycheesonline.com/cultivars.cfm

Kristy:

So what you need is a "sweetheart" for your Sweetheart, right? Well, from what I have observed there hasn't been any consistancy with a particular cultivar always putting out male blooms at the beginning. Nor does Sweetheart, at least here in Florida, only open females intitially. I still think it is a light issue that may trigger which blooms open when. But I am not clever enough to figure out why. And I am sure it is more complex than just a lighting issue. I'd just get a lychee you like and try to increase the lighting, if possible.

Harry

Hi Harry. I need a sweetheart for my Sweetheart lychee...lol Or maybe I should wait until we know which tree produces well then I get one of that to help pollinate my Sweetheart lychee. I'm not sure if it's lighting since everyone else with a Sweetheart lychee observed the tree with mostly female flowers first and then only male flowers with the end of little female flowers.

ch3rri, your lisa Atemopya wasnt sweet?

i remember reading a few reviews on here before i bought it and everyone said it was the best with the most cherimoya like consistency.

oh well, ill chop it down after it fruits if its not good, i bought a Rollinia from Top too, thats another fruit i will have to evaluate and then judge the trees fate.

Mango,

I dunno but my lisa atemoya was not that good. It's not that sweet and did have a little acid to it. Even my seed grown sugar apple was better.