Is Lychee a Citrus Fruit? Unpacking its Surprising Family Tree

December 20, 2025 •

3 min read

Native to southern China for over two millennia, the lychee is a tropical fruit known for its sweet, floral flavor. However, many people are still confused about its origins and mistakenly question, is lychee a citrus fruit?

Quick Summary

No, lychee is not a citrus fruit. This tropical delicacy is a member of the soapberry family, or Sapindaceae, making it a relative of rambutan and longan, rather than oranges or lemons.

Key Points

Not a Citrus Fruit: Lychee belongs to the Sapindaceae, or soapberry, family, not the citrus family Rutaceae.
Botanical Relatives: Lychee is related to other tropical fruits with translucent flesh, such as rambutan and longan.
Native to China: Cultivation of the lychee fruit originated in southern China more than two thousand years ago.
Unique Flavor: While its flavor can have subtle citrusy notes, it is primarily sweet and floral, causing the common misidentification.
Rich in Vitamin C: Similar to citrus, lychee is a great source of Vitamin C and beneficial antioxidant compounds.
Distinct Structure: Lychees have a bumpy, leathery rind and a single, central seed, which differs significantly from the segmented pulp of citrus fruits.

The Botanical Truth: Lychee's True Family

Contrary to popular belief, a misconception often fueled by its subtle citrusy notes, lychee does not belong to the citrus family, Rutaceae. Instead, this exotic fruit is a member of the Sapindaceae, more commonly known as the soapberry family. This family is home to nearly 2,000 species, most of which are tropical or subtropical trees and shrubs, including other well-known fruits. While the citrus family is characterized by fruits with a juicy, segmented pulp enclosed in a leathery rind, the soapberry family offers a different botanical profile altogether.

Relatives in the Soapberry Family

Within the sprawling Sapindaceae family, lychee has several interesting relatives that you might recognize. These fruits share a similar structural characteristic: a translucent, fleshy aril surrounding a single seed.

Rambutan: This fruit is easily identified by its soft, hair-like spines covering a reddish or yellowish exterior. Like the lychee, it has a juicy, firm, white flesh.
Longan: Translating to 'dragon's eye' in Cantonese due to its appearance when peeled, longan is another close cousin. It is smaller and has smoother, tan-colored skin than a lychee.
Mamoncillo: Also known as Spanish lime, this fruit is smaller than a lychee but belongs to the same family.

A Flavor Deception: Why Lychee Isn't Citrus

If lychee isn't a citrus fruit, why does its flavor sometimes have citrus-like undertones? The complexity of the lychee's flavor profile is the reason for this confusion. The sweet, aromatic, and distinctly floral taste of lychee is a result of a combination of aroma compounds, including some monoterpenes like limonene, which is also present in citrus. However, these compounds exist alongside others that contribute rose-like and caramel-like notes, creating a unique and multifaceted flavor that is not purely citrus. This subtle hint of acidity or tartness can lead the palate to draw comparisons to citrus, but a closer look at the fruit's physical and botanical characteristics reveals they are distinctly different.

Lychee vs. Citrus Fruits: A Comparative Look

To further clarify the difference, consider the table below, which compares key characteristics of lychee and citrus fruits. This comparison highlights why they belong to entirely separate botanical families and should not be confused.


Feature	Lychee	Citrus Fruits
Botanical Family	Sapindaceae (Soapberry Family)	Rutaceae (Rue Family)
Appearance	Bumpy, reddish rind with translucent, white flesh	Typically yellow, orange, or green leathery rind with segmented, pulpy flesh
Flavor Profile	Sweet and floral with subtle citrusy notes	Distinctly tart or sour, though some varieties are sweet
Common Relatives	Rambutan, Longan, Mamoncillo	Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruits
Native Region	Southern China	Southeast foothills of the Himalayas
Inner Structure	A single inedible seed surrounded by a fleshy aril	Multiple segments containing juice vesicles

Nutritional Profiles and Origins

While they are not botanically related, both lychee and citrus fruits are praised for their nutritional benefits. Lychee is an excellent source of vitamin C, providing nearly the entire daily recommended intake in a 100-gram serving. It also contains beneficial plant compounds like polyphenols, including epicatechin and rutin. Citrus fruits are similarly known for their high vitamin C content, but their specific nutrient compositions and antioxidant profiles differ.

The origins of these two fruit families also tell different stories. Lychee is a tropical fruit tree with deep roots in southern China, with cultivation records dating back more than 2,000 years. Its spread across the world came through trade and agricultural exchange. In contrast, the genus Citrus is believed to have originated in the southeast foothills of the Himalayas before spreading across the globe. This difference in native regions highlights their distinct evolutionary paths, further solidifying their separation in the botanical world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite sharing a high vitamin C content and a certain zestiness, lychee is not a citrus fruit. This popular tropical delicacy is a proud member of the soapberry family, putting it in a completely different lineage from oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. The confusion is understandable given the complex, floral, and mildly tart flavor of the lychee, but a quick look at its botanical family, appearance, and origins reveals the truth. So, the next time you enjoy the sweet and juicy aril of a lychee, remember you are savoring a piece of the Sapindaceae family, not a citrus relative.

For more information on the history and cultivation of lychees, you can consult resources from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Frequently Asked Questions

No, lychee is not related to oranges. Oranges belong to the Rutaceae (citrus) family, while lychees are part of the Sapindaceae (soapberry) family, making them distant relatives in the plant kingdom.

Lychee, scientifically known as Litchi chinensis, is a member of the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. This family also includes many other tropical fruits and temperate plants like maple trees.

The flavor profile of lychee is a complex blend of sweet, floral, and mildly tart notes. The subtle tartness can cause some people to perceive it as having a citrusy quality, leading to the common confusion.

Other well-known fruits in the Sapindaceae family include rambutan and longan. These fruits are often visually and texturally similar to lychee once peeled, with a translucent, juicy flesh.

You can distinguish a lychee from a citrus fruit by its external appearance and internal structure. A lychee has a reddish, bumpy rind and a single large seed, while a citrus fruit has a leathery, often colorful, rind and a segmented, pulpy interior.

Yes, lychees are an excellent source of vitamin C. A 100-gram serving of fresh lychees can provide over 70 mg of Vitamin C, which is comparable to the amount found in a medium-sized orange.

Lychees thrive in warm, subtropical climates with high humidity. They are commercially grown in countries like China, India, Vietnam, and South Africa, but are also cultivated in warmer parts of the United States like Florida and Hawaii.