Black Leaf Lychee

Black Leaf Lychee

　　The cultivation of Black Leaf Lychee in Pubei County began in the late Qing Dynasty. The main production areas are towns such as Beitong, Baishishui, and Lemin. In recent years, Black Leaf Lychee plantations have spread across the entire county. In 1999, the county’s lychee orchards covered an area of 326,528 mu, with Black Leaf Lychee accounting for 85% of the total. The fruit ripens in mid-June, featuring thick flesh, a crisp texture, a sweet taste with a hint of honey fragrance, and is rich in carbohydrates, vitamin C, and various trace elements, offering high nutritional value. Among all Black Leaf Lychee varieties, those from Qinghu Village in Beitong Town are known for their premium quality. In recent years, other lychee varieties produced in Pubei—such as Feizixiao, Nuomici, and Jizui—have also developed into large-scale operations. (Pubei)

　　The cultivation of Black Leaf Lychee in the current county area began in the late Qing Dynasty. During the Republican era, early development of slope plantations of Black Leaf Lychee occurred in areas such as Beitong, Lemin, and Baishishui. Since 1982, there has been significant growth, with individual growers or cooperatives leasing mountain land to cultivate Black Leaf Lychee. Some planted just a few mu, others dozens or even hundreds of mu, spreading across all townships. The main production areas are Beitong, Baishishui, and Lemin. This lychee variety ripens in late June; when mature, its peel turns deep red and dark brown after picking. The flesh is relatively thick, with medium-sized seeds and occasionally small ones. The flesh is firm, with a crisp texture, a sweet taste with a slight honey fragrance, and is rich in carbohydrates, vitamin C, and various trace elements, offering high nutritional value and medium-to-high quality. This tree species is highly productive; under normal conditions, the county’s Black Leaf Lychee yield reaches around 1.2 million kilograms annually. In 1990, the county’s Black Leaf Lychee planting area was approximately 12,000 mu, with a yield of 1.5 million kilograms. By 1991, the planting area had grown to 17,000 mu. In the past, the fruit was typically purchased and transported elsewhere by supply and marketing cooperatives. Between 1985 and 1990, individual merchants from both within and outside the region directly bought fresh fruit near the orchards for transport to places like Hubei and Shanghai, or the county’s canned food factory purchased the fruit to produce lychee canned goods and lychee juice, with the products selling well in the domestic market.