Lychee trees are a wonderful tropical addition to gardens in warm climates. Their sweet fruits are the perfect summer treat and the lush green leaves add ornamental value for the rest of the year. Gardening expert Madison Moulton explains everything you need to know to grow and care for lychees in this guide. I have a long list of fruit and nut trees in my garden. Macadamias, avocados, bananas, mangoes—I could go on. But one of my favorite trees (and certainly the favorite of anyone who visits my garden) is the lychee. Where I’m from, lychees (or litchis) are a summer staple. There’s nothing better than grabbing a bowl of them and peeling the red skin to reveal the tasty fruit underneath. And since they can be quite pricey, growing my own has saved me a lot of money over the years. As tropical fruits, lychees are largely reserved for gardeners in zones 10 to 11 (or 9 at a push). As they can be quite particular about their environment, it’s best to stick to their requirements as best as you can if you want masses of fruits. In the right location, lychees aren’t too difficult to care for. Follow the tips in this guide, and you’ll have a tropical fruit paradise in no time (or, more accurately, in three to five years). What Are Lychee Trees? Lychees are delicious tropical fruits from the tree Litchi chinensis. Although they aren’t as widely grown as some other tropical fruits (mangoes come to mind), their unique flavor makes them worth growing. They also aren’t the most common fruit to find fresh in stores, so if you love lychees, it’s easier (and far more budget-friendly) to grow your own. Lychee trees produce small, round fruits with rough red skin. Once you peel the skin back, you’ll find the delicious white or translucent flesh surrounded by a large seed in the center. The flavor is hard to describe, but it’s a kind of combination of sweet and floral, the perfect treat for summer. The fruits are only around for a short period, so what is there to enjoy for the rest of the year? Lychees have a lush and evergreen canopy with a tropical look that adds impressive ornamental value. The flowers may not look like much, but the glossy green leaves are a feature on their own. There are a few varieties to choose from, but ‘Mauritius’ and ‘Brewster’ are the most common. Characteristics Lychee trees can reach impressive heights of 40 feet or more in the right conditions. Thankfully, they respond well to pruning if you’re short on space or want to keep the tree at a more manageable size. You only need one to produce fruit too, so you don’t have to worry about finding space for two large trees. These trees, like many other fruit trees, unfortunately, do take their time to produce fruit. If you purchase one from a nursery, you’ll be waiting around 3 to 5 years for your first fruits. Starting from seed may require a decade (or more) of patience. In late spring, lychee trees produce clusters of greenish-white flowers that attract masses of pollinators like bees. In spring, my lychee tree is the most popular plant in my garden for bees, drawing so many that you can hear their buzz from inside the house. They are considered self-fertile—I only have one tree and enjoy more fruit than I know what to do with each year. But having more than one can potentially boost the fruit set and quality. Native Area These tropical fruit trees are native to southern China. They’re happiest in warm, humid climates with mild, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. They don’t perform well in coastal areas close to sea level. Lychees thrive in USDA zones 10 and 11, but those in zone 9 can still grow them paying a little more attention to cold snaps. If you live in an area where frost is common, consider planting in containers so you can move your tree indoors or to a sheltered spot like a greenhouse when temperatures drop. Planting Early spring is typically the best time to plant lychee trees. In warmer regions with mild winters, you can get away with planting a bit earlier to help them establish faster, but it’s always a good idea to keep a close eye on the forecast. You won’t be getting fruit in the first year anyway, so focus on a strong start instead. Find a location with at least six hours of sunlight daily. The soil should be well-draining, so avoid low-lying spots where water tends to pool. If your soil is heavy, work in plenty of organic matter before planting to improve drainage. If you’re planting from a nursery-grown tree, dig a hole that’s a little larger than the current bag or container. Gently remove the tree and place it in the hole so that it sits at the same level as in the container. Fill in the gaps with soil, firm it down gently, and water thoroughly to help the roots settle in. A layer of organic mulch around the base will also help keep moisture in (just don’t let it sit directly against the trunk). Starting from seed takes a little extra effort and a lot more patience. You also won’t get the same type of tree you planted from, so it’s fun for experimentation, but not reliability. Plant your seeds as soon as possible after removing them from the fruit. Soak overnight and sow the seeds about an inch deep in a well-draining soil mix and keep the soil moist. Apply consistent warmth and plenty of bright light. You’ll hopefully see a sprout in a few weeks. But if a quicker harvest and reliability is your goal, I recommend choosing a nursery-grown tree instead.

While many people think of kiwis as tropical plants, hardy kiwis make a great addition to many temperate gardens. Join plant expert Briana Yablonski as she shares how to plant, care for, and harvest for this unique vining plant. The first time I tried a hardy kiwi fruit, my world turned upside down. I was browsing a booth at a Washington DC farmers market when I spotted a quart box filled with small red and green fruits. They certainly weren’t apples, and although they slightly resembled grapes, they had thicker and less shiny skin. That’s when I saw the sign proclaiming, “hardy kiwi fruits, no need to peel.” I quickly bought a box and popped one of the kiwis into my mouth. The juicy fruit exploded with a flavor that was sweeter and more intense than the typical kiwi. Why hadn’t I seen or tried this fruit before? Since then, I’ve learned that the fruit’s poor shelf life limits its commercial sales. However, these plants are great fruiting vines to add to your garden if you live in growing zones 3 through 8. By planting and caring for a hardy kiwi vine, you can enjoy delicious kiwi berries for years to come. What is Hardy Kiwi? You’re probably familiar with the fuzzy kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) found in grocery stores nationwide. While the hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) tastes a lot like this common fruit, it is smaller in size and lacks the namesake brown, fuzzy fibers. Instead, its smooth green or red fruits are about the size of a large grape, which makes them the perfect bite-sized snack. Due to the hardy kiwi’s short shelf life, it’s difficult to find these fruits in the United States. You may be able to snag a pint or quart of the kiwiberries at farmers’ markets, but the best way to enjoy these sweet and juicy fruits is to grow a plant at home. The perennial plants are woody twisting vines that grow between 10-20 feet each year. The plants begin bearing fruits in their third to fifth year and can continue producing kiwis over the next 20+ years. Characteristics The hardy kiwi, otherwise known as the kiwiberry, grape berry, or arctic berry, is a long-lived perennial vine that thrives in temperate environments. Since the plants are deciduous, they lose their leaves in the fall and regrow new foliage in the spring. Most vines grow anywhere from 10-20 feet each year and thrive on arbors and types of trellises. However, they can quickly develop into unruly plants if you forgo pruning and trellising. The plants produce flowers on new shoots in the spring. Most varieties are dioecious, which means male and female flowers occur on different plants. Only the female flowers can produce fruit, but each flower needs to be pollinated with pollen from a male flower. The clusters of kiwis ripen sometime in late summer or early fall, and a single, healthy plant can produce up to 100 pounds of fruit. Native Area The hardy kiwi originated in East Asia, in areas including Japan, Korea, northern China, and northeast Russia. While the plants can tolerate cold temperatures, they need to grow in a location with at least 200 frost-free days to produce fruit. Planting The best way to plant hardy kiwi is to transplant small seedlings after the last spring frost. Since most varieties produce male and female flowers on separate plants, make sure to plant at least one male plant for every eight female plants. Reputable plant nurseries will label male and female plants, making it easy to purchase the plants you need. The vines are susceptible to wind damage, so plant them in a slightly sheltered location. Make sure the location receives at least eight hours of daily light and has good drainage. Space individual plants ten feet apart and provide them with a supporting trellis. Once the plants begin to grow, select one to two shoots to train as stems. Loosely tie these shoots to a stake to prevent them from twisting and encourage them to grow straight up.

Basil flowering takes energy from leaf production, causing leaves to become bitter and bad for cooking. Keep basil from flowering by pinching off any flowering bits to redirect energy to the leaves. Prune and pinch your plant regularly to keep it healthy, lush, and useful. With the right love and care for a basil plant, it's not long before you have the main ingredients for delicious culinary recipes and a wonderfully bright addition to your herb garden. But trouble could be brewing if your basil plant grows too far. When flowers appear on a basil plant, it's best to get rid of them and stop them from continuously blooming. But why is it important to keep your basil from flowering? Here's what the experts say happens, and what to do if your plant has already flowered. Meet the Expert Adam Weiss is a master gardener and the founder of Pike Lane Gardens, a wellness program rooted in sustainability bringing organic vegetable gardening to the workplace. Sara Rubens is a certified garden coach and the founder of Seed to Sanctuary, which helps folks create edible gardens. Why Keep Basil From Flowering? Although there are over a dozen different types of basil out there, you'll find that it's better to prevent most from flowering. Flowers can range from white to purple and while they might look nice, this impacts the flavor. "If left to bloom, the plant will redirect its energy toward producing seeds rather than growing new leaves," says master gardener Adam Weiss. "This can cause the plant to slow or stop leaf production, making the existing leaves tough and bitter." Bitter basil defeats the purpose of an herb garden as the leaves become unusable in cooking. The best way to stop this is to prevent basil from flowering. Simply pinch off any flowers or buds to continue redirecting energy to the leaves. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! What Happens If Basil Flowers If basil flowers, it becomes more bitter. That's why pruning basil is a large part of the care requirements for this plant. Have a pair or scissors or shears at the ready to collect leaves and nip anything in the bud before it blooms. "By pinching off the flower buds as soon as you see them, you encourage the plant to keep producing fresh, tender leaves instead of going into reproduction mode, often called bolting," says certified garden coach Sara Rubens. By making use of your basil plant, you're also supporting its health and growth. So don't be shy about snipping off leaves for your projects. "Regularly harvesting basil and removing the top few sets of leaves (including any flower buds) also keeps the plant bushy and vigorous," explains Rubens. "It promotes branching, which leads to a fuller, more productive plant." What to Do If Your Basil Already Flowered Don't worry if your basil has already flowered, you have a few choices to prevent more bitter leaves. "You can still pinch off the blooms and harvest, but the flavor might not be as sweet or intense as it was before," says Rubens. As for any other plants? Keep a watchful eye and stay on top of pruning to avoid losing out on the tastiest flavor. However, you don't have to remove or cut back the ones that have flowered either. "If you’re growing multiple basil plants, you can choose to let a few flowers remain, which will help attract bees and other beneficial pollinators to your garden," says Weiss. "You can then use those flowers to create basil-infused oils and vinegars." Other Basil Care Tips If you're new to growing basil or are after a few extra care tips, here's what to know: Transplant your basil outside at the right time. Weiss says to start it by seed indoors, then move seedlings outdoors once it starts hitting 70°F outside, where they should be spaced 8-10 inches apart. Grow companion plants for basil like asparagus, tomatoes, and chamomile nearby to keep pests at bay and boost the flavor. Don't forget about a good fertilizer. "Periodically use a nitrogen-based fertilizer on your basil plants to stimulate healthy leaf development," says Weiss. Create a regular pruning cadence to prevent blooming and create a plant that's more voluminous.