Mauritius

'Mauritius' is the backbone of the Florida lychee industry and the cultivar UF/IFAS ranks highest for bearing regularity in its home-landscape variety table. UF/IFAS lists it with the synonyms 'Da Zao', 'Tai So' and 'Hong Huey', tying it to the same clone that dominates Australian and southern African orchards; the Florida name reflects its arrival by way of the Indian Ocean island and South Africa rather than a separate origin. What sets it apart is dependability rather than peak flavor - it crops well most seasons while 'Brewster' skips years, which is why nearly every packinghouse lychee sold in Florida in late May and June is this variety. Trees are highly vigorous with a broad spreading canopy, and fruit is normally picked slightly under-colored so it survives handling. Sow Exotic and GreenDreams both stock it and both point first-time growers toward it for exactly that reason.