Florida-grown lychee trees offer a taste of the tropics for home growers. Their berries deliver a sweet, rose-scented fruit with vitamin C-rich pulp and a vibrant color and flavor to fruit cups, cakes, mocktails, ice cream blends and much more.
In February and March, the fruit develops in clusters of up to 50, ripening on the tree, producing its herbal scent, although blooms can also appear any time from late December through April. These celebrated and beautiful trees can face serious trouble when a destructive mite, known as the lychee erinose mite, invades threatening the tree’s health and fruit production.
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has the details on the pest and best management practices for growers. The Lychee Erinose Mite Aceria litchii is a timely Ask IFAS bilingual publication focused on this pest. It’s available in English and Spanish.
Authors dive into the microscopic mite that can sneak into the tree’s leaves and produce unusual fuzzy, feltlike patches called erinea. This causes the leaves to curl, distort and lose their healthy look. This invasive mite can spread quickly and is hard to spot without knowing the signs. On a global scale, the mite has caused serious damage worldwide and, since being found in Florida in 2018, it has moved through parts of central and South Florida, triggering state quarantine efforts.
For Floridians, the lychee tree holds a special appeal. These stunning landscape plants have a dense, rounded canopy, glossy evergreen leaves and bright red fruit that make them attractive focal points in home gardens, front yards and even a central focal point on circular driveways.
Florida is one of only three states, along with Hawaii and California, where the climate is warm enough to support lychee production.
Here’s what readers can expect from this month’s featured Ask IFAS resource:
What is the lychee erinose mite and its origins? The lychee erinose mite is one of the most important pests of lychee that is native to Asia. The mite has spread to many lychee-growing regions worldwide and was found in Florida in 2018, where it continues to spread
How do you recognize early symptoms before they spread? Authors include photos and descriptions that help homeowners spot the problem early, before it spreads throughout the tree.
What parts of the tree are affected? The mite primarily attacks leaves, but the damage can spread and eventually impact the overall tree growth and fruiting.
What are the best ways to manage before they spread? Authors give detailed explanations on how to check trees, suggest timed pruning and treatments with sulfur being the main product currently permitted in Florida to protect new growth.
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