👁️ Longan
Dimocarpus longan
The lychee's chill little brother.
Sun
Full sun, 8+ hrs
Days to harvest
3–5 years from grafted/air-layered tree
Spacing
20–25 feet apart
Soil pH
6.0–6.5
How to grow
More reliable than lychee in Florida — longan fruits dependably with less fuss about winter chill and handles South Florida's climate like it was born there (it practically was, horticulturally speaking). Plant grafted trees in well-drained soil with full sun and give it space; it's a handsome, dense evergreen even when not fruiting.
Water & feeding
Regular water during fruit development; established trees tolerate short dry spells.
Common problems
- Cold damage in hard freezes
- Webworm and scale insects
- Fruit bats and birds at harvest
Harvest
Harvest whole panicles when the fruit turns tan-brown and tastes sweet — they don't ripen further off the tree.
Nerdy fact: Cut one open and you'll see why the Chinese call it 'dragon's eye' — the translucent flesh wraps a dark seed like an eyeball staring back at you. Delicious and mildly unsettling.