Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
lychee (zones 10-11) does not overlap with Washington's zone range (4a-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Lychee is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Washington is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Washington winter. To grow it here, grow lychee in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 10-11 (plant) against 5-9 (Washington). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Washington spans zones 4a-9b, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score lychee against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Lychee Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Frost-Free Days: 100+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 30 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Washington Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 16 - Apr 15
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 24 - Nov 18
- Annual Rainfall: 6-90 inches
- Common Soils: Volcanic ash, Silt loam (Palouse), Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Lychee in Washington
The frost window
Across Washington, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 16 and Apr 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 192-day window you can count on — up to 247 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Washington runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for lychee, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether lychee is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Washington; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Whatcom County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says lychee does not survive a Washington winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Washington under protection.
Frost-free days
Lychee wants 100+ frost-free days; a typical Washington site sees ~208 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Lychee needs ~4500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1740 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Washington's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.
Chill hours
Lychee requires ~100 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Washington typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Lychee tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8.5) — 3.5 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Washington. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Washington soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Washington site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Washington's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Lychee needs about 59 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how lychee performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Washington soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Lychee in Washington — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 16 - Apr 15 to Oct 24 - Nov 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Lychee in Washington
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Washington growers also need to think about:
Extreme rain divide: 90+ inches west, 6 inches east of Cascades
East side requires irrigation — no rain from June through September
Slug and root rot pressure on the wet west side
Short seasons at elevation in the Cascades and northeast corners
Growing lychee here specifically
Lychee wants pH 5.0–8.5 and rates to USDA zones 10–11, but Washington's soils are dominantly silt loam — the fit is decided by your parcel's own map unit, not the state average.
Match lychee to your parcel's SSURGO map unit — test pH and texture, and amend toward its 5.0–8.5 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Washington grower, not just lychee — is covered on the Washington growing guide.
Timing shifts within Washington
Washington isn't one climate. In Whatcom County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 29 — roughly 54 days later than the recorded state median — so plant lychee to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Lychee needs about 100 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Whatcom County — Washington’s shortest season at 131 frost-free days — clears that by 31 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Washington. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Washington’s 39 counties the frost-free season runs from 131 days in Whatcom County to 300 days in San Juan County — a spread of 169 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Washington county sees 208 frost-free days, leaving lychee about 108 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Lychee's 100-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Lychee draws honeybees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, lychee can only work that bloom inside Washington's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 16 - Apr 15) and closing at the first (Oct 24 - Nov 18), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Washington Cooperative Extension
For Washington-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lychee, the canonical source is WSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Lychee native to Washington?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Lychee as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Washington's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Washington natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Washington growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Lychee in Washington
When can I plant Lychee in Washington?
Washington's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 16 and Apr 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Lychee, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Washington and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Lychee grown in across Washington?
Washington spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lychee carries a range of zones 10-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Washington site have?
A typical Washington site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lychee needs 100+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Whatcom, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Lychee native to Washington?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Lychee as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Washington's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Washington natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Lychee in Washington?
Lychee tolerates pH 5-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.5-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Washington site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Lychee actually grow on my specific land in Washington?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lychee against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Washington
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores lychee against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Washington lychee averages can't show:
We read public map data around Washington — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Washington lychee average
Explore More
Growing guides for lychee
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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